ash can

One two- to three-cup sample of ash can provide information about soil contamination for an entire neighborhood, Wallace said.

Absorption in these images of fire and ash can cause trauma of its own, said Jyoti Mishra, an associate professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego who studied the long-term psychological health of survivors of the 2018 Camp fire.

The smoke and ash can blow under doors and around windows in nearby homes, bringing in chemicals that stick to walls and other indoor surfaces and continue off-gassing for weeks to months, particularly in warmer temperatures.

In airports, ash can coat runways, hurt airport personnel and cause a number of other logistical issues.

Ash can shift the pH rapidly, according to University of New Hampshire extension and can easily be overdone.