Image: The Thomas Fire burning in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, California, United States, between December 2017 and January 2018. Credited to Getty Images and Carsten Schertzer.

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As first responders make progress containing the fires burning in the Greater Los Angeles area, authorities are allowing some evacuated residents to return to their homes. AIHA’s chief science officer, Michele Twilley, DrPH, CIH, recently spoke with Enrique Medina, MS, CIH, CSP, FAIHA, about the hazards potentially faced by returning residents and people living downwind of the fire in the coming days and weeks. Medina is the editor of AIHA’s Technical Guide for Wildfire Impact Assessments for the OEHS Professional and the president and CEO of Alliance Consulting International in San Diego, California.

This post is the first of two that present transcripts of Twilley’s conversation with Medina. It has been edited for length and clarity. Last week's post, an interview by Twilley with Michelle Rosales, MPH, CIH, covered preparing for evacuation and concerns for returning residents. A subsequent post with Twilley and Medina will focus on challenges facing OEHS professionals responsible for workplaces and communities affected by the fires.

This post is available in the January 2025 issue of The Synergist.