Returning home after a fire is exhausting, considering the mess you need to clean up after. While a severe fire may require calling in professionals for help, you can tackle basics like removing ...

Cleaning up after a fire can be hazardous. Northern California residents who lost their homes in the fires are beginning to clean up and rebuild. But there are toxic risks in the ashes of their homes.

Important Points to Remember When Cleaning Up After a Fire: Ash, soot, dust, and other airborne particles may have been deposited inside and outside of homes and businesses.

The best way to clean an area with ash is by sweeping and mopping. Bleach may be used to disinfect the area. • Any kind of vacuums, except HEPA-filter vacuums, are not recommended to clean up ash.

A pulmonary doctor is warning survivors to wait, if they can, to visit their fire-damaged homes. If they do go into a burn zone, they should take precautions.

Volunteers gather at the Pasadena Community Job Center to help clean up after the fires on January 12. - Nick Ut/Getty Images Homeowners are responsible for paying for debris removal.

The backstory: Anabel Garcia was cleaning up after what was, at the time, the most destructive fire in California history, which killed 22 people and torched 5,600 structures.

After California's 2018 Camp Fire, researchers found abnormally high concentrations of lead downwind of the burn, which they suspect came from the houses that went up in smoke.

Firefighters clean up after the Eaton Fire in California. Health experts recommend wearing particle-filtering masks, goggles, gloves, and other personal protective equipment while cleaning up the ...