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Fighting Wildfires – Hazards During Cleanup Work


Burned remains of vehicle and house after wildfire in California.

Burned remains of vehicle and house after wildfire in California. iStock/Getty Images/Plus

Hazards During Cleanup Work Following Wildfires

The purpose of this webpage is to discuss some of the health and safety hazards that homeowners and workers may encounter after a wildfire. This document is not designed to address health and safety for firefighters or other emergency response workers during a wildfire or other emergency event.

After a wildfire has ended, cleanup and recovery activities are often needed. These activities may pose health and safety hazards that require necessary precautions. In most cases, it may be more appropriate for professional cleanup and disaster restoration companies, rather than homeowners or volunteers, to conduct this work. Although the types of hazards may be different for each wildfire, some common hazards include: