I just want to stress as much as possible for everyone to be safe. The toxins being stirred up through cleanup, and this will continue in the months to come, are extremely dangerous. It’s breaking my heart to see people go up there unprotected. Besides the obvious potential hazards and things to stumble over you have to think of the air as toxic and damaging to the degree that you will feel the effects in years to come.
It’s a little confusing and deceiving when you see emergency personnel and other workers up there without masks. They will be severely impacted because of the length of the time they’re spending and many of them making that choice. I tell everyone that I run into that we care about them, appreciate their work, and really hope that they will mask up even if it’s inconvenient.
More than likely in a decade or so those not being careful these first weeks and months are going to feel the effects of respiratory illness and likely rampant cancer diagnosis.
While the fire itself is under investigation, the choice to risk your own health is on us individually. I’m hoping you all take as much precaution as you can so you don’t regret it in the future.