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Nev. (KOLO) -Residents here on Seneca Drive and surrounding streets will tell you their neighborhood will never be the same
One look at the devastation caused by the Hawk Fire you understand why
The randomness of it all is unfathomable. One house burned to the ground, the only one who could identify it is the former resident. Just across the street a home unscathed
But in the aftermath, there’s a problem for both those who lost everything and those who have counted their blessings more than once
“You shouldn’t walk through those points,” says Dr. Chad Kingsley, Washoe County Health Officer. “But just be very intentional about how you interact with those materials… If there is an especially windy day or someone is driving through that material that would disturb it and stir it up. Yes, take those necessary precautions. And so, our homes are already built pretty much sealed up. So, you should change your air filters as well as the sealings on your house and you should be well protected.”
There were plenty of workers in the neighborhood cleaning debris from where there was once a home
All that material is being loaded up and it will be taken to a landfill that is lined. That’s so the toxic material doesn’t make its way into the landscape and even underground water
The Public Health Emergency here in Washoe County allows for funding on a federal level. But also helps guide insurance companies in terms of claims filed by residents impacted by the Hawk, Bug, and Stallion Fires
Keep in mind Kingsley says improperly moving or handling debris outside of the ash footprint could disqualify the person from possible federal assistance and a fine
For more information on the declaration go to: https://washoelife.washoecounty.gov/nnph/nnph-declares-local-public-health-emergency-following-bug-hawk-and-stallion-fires/
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