Fire’s Ash Poses Hazards for Those With Ailing Lungs

The ashes fluttered down like tiny snowflakes, but Tuesday’s air show was the antithesis of a pristine wintry downfall.

Dirty gray and gritty, the flakes were tossed about by hot, dry winds, settling on cars, patio furniture and tree leaves miles away from the Orange County wildfire that created the ash.

You could see the air and smell it.

But authorities said Tuesday that unless you have asthma, bronchitis or other respiratory problems, the ash in the sky should be no more than a passing irritant.

Still, some schools closed or kept students indoor and some doctors recommended against outdoor physical activity.

“It’s probably better not to exercise outside,” said Dr. Archie Wilson, chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at UC Irvine Medical Center. “When you exercise, you breathe deeply,” and more particulates are inhaled, he said.

“But for most people, breathing in a little ash won’t hurt much.”

Students at Tustin Ranch Elementary School were sent home midmorning Tuesday, not because the flames threatened the campus, but because the smoke and ash from the fire, about seven miles to the east, were bothering teachers and pupils.

“Some people were getting headaches,” said Mark Eliot, a spokesman for the Tustin Unified School District. “The smoke and ash got into the ventilation system.”

At other schools in the path of the smoke, students were kept indoors.

“It’s like a rainy day schedule,” Eliot said. “Students are not going outside for recess and physical education classes and lunch.”

The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a special “smoke advisory” to schools and community centers, urging them to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities in affected areas.

But for most people, breathing the airborne ash should cause no serious problems because the particles are too big to penetrate the lungs, Wilson said. Instead, they should be captured by the mucus layer of the airways, which continually move such substances upward, until they are high enough to be swallowed or coughed up, he said.

The ash presents more concern for people with chronic respiratory illnesses. Any foreign particles in the air can cause flare-ups of asthma, bronchitis, emphysema or other conditions, authorities said.

The American Lung Assn. warned people with respiratory problems to stay inside with doors, windows and fireplace flues shut. Air should be circulated with purifiers or air conditioners.

Those with asthma should be extra careful to follow medication directions, using the maximum amount that their doctors have directed for days when air quality is bad, authorities said.

The ash may hang around for several days, even after a fire is extinguished, doctors said.

Further, during any cleanup in ash-filled areas, people should wear dust masks and water down dusty or sooty areas or use wet cloths to keep the particles from becoming airborne, the lung association said.

Cars need extra care too, even miles from the fire, the Western Insurance Information Service advises. Ash can be acidic and damage paint, so vehicles should be kept in garages or washed immediately, the agency said.

But do not dry-wipe the car, warned Joel Bernstein, owner of Irvine Hand Car Wash. The ash may contain pieces of tree bark or other materials that did not completely burn, which could scratch paint, he said.