Returning Home After a Wildfire: A Safety Checklist

The hours after an evacuation order is lifted are a dangerous time. The fire may be gone from your street, but it leaves behind hazards that aren't obvious: toxic ash, contaminated water, weakened trees and smouldering ground. Here's how to go back safely, whether your home is untouched or badly damaged.

Wait for the all-clear

Only go back when officials say your area is open. Reopening often happens in stages: residents first, sometimes with ID and an escort, then the general public. Roads may be open while utilities are still off or while crews are still working nearby. Check the incident's official updates, and remember that a lifted order can be reissued if the fire flares up again.

What to wear

Ash from burned homes isn't like ash from a fireplace. It can contain metals, asbestos from older buildings and residues from burned plastics, batteries and household chemicals.

• A well-fitted N95 or P100 respirator — a cloth or surgical mask doesn't filter fine ash.
• Long sleeves, long trousers, gloves and sturdy boots with thick soles. Hot embers and sharp debris can be hidden under ash.
• Goggles if it's windy or you'll be moving debris.
• Change clothes and shoes before getting back in the car, and wash them separately.

Keep children and pets away from ash and burned areas. They're closer to the ground and more likely to touch it.

Hazards to check for

Outside

• Downed or damaged power lines. Assume any wire is live, stay well away and report it to your utility.
• Burned trees and poles, which can fall without warning, especially in wind.
• Hot spots and ash pits. Burned tree roots and stumps can smoulder underground for days, leaving a crust over a hollow full of hot ash. Walk carefully and don't step on ash you can't see beneath.
• Propane tanks and fuel lines. If you smell gas, leave and call the gas company or 911 from a safe distance.
• Hillsides above you. Burned slopes are prone to mudslides and debris flows when it rains, sometimes for years after a fire.

Inside

• Don't enter a damaged building until it has been checked for structural safety.
• If you smell smoke, or see heat or sparks anywhere inside, leave and call 911 — a fire can rekindle inside walls or the attic.
• Have the electrical and gas systems checked by a professional before turning them back on.

Water and food

Wildfires can contaminate drinking water systems. After several large fires in California, chemicals such as benzene were found in water pipes in burned areas, likely from melted plastic. Follow any Do Not Drink or Boil Water notice from your water provider; boiling doesn't remove chemical contamination, so a Do Not Drink notice means bottled water only. If you have a private well, have it tested before you use it.

Throw out food that was exposed to heat, smoke or ash, and anything from a fridge or freezer that lost power for more than a few hours. When in doubt, throw it out.

Cleaning up ash

• Lightly mist ash with water before sweeping to keep dust down, and avoid hosing it into storm drains.
• Don't use leaf blowers or shop vacuums — they put fine ash back into the air. A vacuum with a HEPA filter is fine for small amounts indoors.
• Wash produce from your garden thoroughly before eating it, or skip it if it was covered in ash from burned buildings.
• For burned homes, wait for guidance. Many areas run debris-removal programs, and professional removal may be required where asbestos or hazardous waste is present.

Smoke can linger in a home for weeks. Ventilate when outdoor air is clean, run an air purifier, and check our smoke and air quality guide for when it's safe to open windows.

Document everything for insurance

1. Photograph and video every room and the outside of the house before you clean or move anything, including damage from smoke and ash, not just flames.
2. Call your insurer early and ask what your policy covers, including additional living expenses if you can't stay at home.
3. Keep every receipt for hotels, meals, travel, clothing and supplies while you're displaced.
4. Make a list of damaged or lost items with approximate age and value. Photos, bank statements and online order histories help.
5. Don't throw out damaged items until the adjuster has seen them or confirmed photos are enough.

Look after yourselves

Going back to a damaged home or neighbourhood is hard, even when your own house survived. Stress, poor sleep and anxiety at the sound of sirens or the smell of smoke are common. Local recovery centres, community groups and disaster distress helplines are there for exactly this, and it's worth using them early.

Once you're settled, take a look at your evacuation checklist and defensible space while the lessons are fresh. And if a fire flares up again nearby, FireRadar can alert you when it starts or grows near the places you save.