Going through wildfire evacuation is tough enough. First there is the panic of knowing you must leave home NOW. Then there is the desperation to gather everything important in the house that you have gained in life. But this is why you put it in the house to begin with.
Aside from all that, there is the returning. Great Blessings from Above, our home is still standing! The garden still alive, if thirsty from the heat. Tomatoes are ripening. We are grateful as the ashy sky collects and cools in the coastal fog. Morning shows the layers of ash on everything. And it doesn’t just brush off.
Safe Cleanup of Fire Ash
(this from placer.ca.gov website)
- Do not allow children to play in the ash.
- Wash ash off children’s toys before children play with them.
- Clean ash off house pets.
- Wear gloves, long sleeved shirts, and long pants and avoid skin contact.
- If you do get ash on your skin, wash it off as soon as possible.
- If you have a vegetable garden or fruit trees, wash the fruit or vegetables thotoughly before eating them.
- Avoid getting ash into the air as much as possible. Do not use leaf blowers or take other actions that will put ash into the air.
You get the idea. Ash is dangerous on your skin, in your lungs and in your digestive system. Don’t go walking through the woods (unprotected) after a woodland fire. And watch for “widow-maker” trees and branches. They can break and fall without warning and their name says it all.
Here is a handy approximate breakdown of woodash components: http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~blpprt/bestwoodash.html#table1 It is provided by Clemson University, and the source is an article on the application of woodash as a soil amendment vs. using limestone, presumably in an agricultural setting but their estimates are useful for any application.
Incidentally, there has been a lot of hoopla about the problem of Sudden Oak Death (SOD). This was explained to me as a disease caused by a lack of potassium in the plant or tree. Simply adding potassium to acidic soil won’t help, because potassium cannot be absorbed by the plant when soil pH is much higher than 6.8. Woodash is the best method to reduce pH in the soil, and it adds potassium along with other minerals, thereby maintaining a balance of available nutrients for healthy soil and plants.
The point being, that while there are hazards to humans after a woodland fire, our woodlands themselves will be healthier for this adjustment and nutrient replenishment to the soil. Sometimes blessings come in ashey ’silver’ linings.
Home at last
