When you think of charred wood, ash left behind after a wildfire or soot, you might think that they are little more than harmless byproducts of incomplete combustion. After all, haven’t people cooked their food and kept warm by burning wood in their stoves and fireplaces for millennia?  

When you see photos taken in the aftermath of structure fires or wildfires, where people are trying to salvage valuables, assess the damage or clean up, it is rare to see people wearing proper respirators, Tyvek suits or other personal protective equipment (PPE). Images of people sifting through the ash in their street clothes to find valuables, or walking through a burned-out home in shorts and flip-flops, gives the impression that post-fire environments are relatively safe. However, this is far from the truth.