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In today’s wildland–urban interface (WUI) losses, the question is often more complex than simply “burned versus not burned.” An increasing number of claims involve non-thermal impacts, including smoke infiltration and the deposition of combustion byproducts in structures that remain standing. These losses are inherently more complex because contamination is often invisible, unevenly distributed and vulnerable to misinterpretation.
Yucaipa wildfire day 1 evening viewed from Yucaipa blvd Wildfires increasingly affect communities far beyond the structures directly damaged by flames. In the wildland–urban interface, thousands of buildings may remain standing while being exposed to varying concentrations of smoke, ash and other combustion byproducts. For insurance professionals, these losses present a difficult question: When does exposure to a wildfire plume constitute measurable and consequential smoke impact to a structure?
Understanding smoke’s impact is critical to protecting indoor air quality and maintaining HVAC system performance and longevity. Key Takeaways: The impact of wildfire smoke on contaminants and structures is largely governed by the processes that determine the way contaminants are emitted, dispersed, transformed and deposited. Understanding impact zones helps facility managers translate environmental science into practical expectations for building conditions and facility response.
Heads up all remediation and industrial hygiene professionals, no matter what your specialization, because something unique and unprecedented is happening. We are on the cusp of having a standard for the disciplines and craft of investigating and restoring after fire. And it is about to happen twice. It could be simultaneous, or closely consecutive, yet as ’22 rounds into ’23, we are about to have more than one fire standard, where we have had none.
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