I live in an apartment building. Another unit recently caught on fire, and the building was evacuated. Smoke was everywhere. No heat reached my part of the building. I have not seen any soot, either.
I tried googling it, but I havenโt been able to find a good answer that relates to things like chip packaging. They still have air in them, and the packaging doesnโt fully match the descriptions of what foods to throw away.
Are things like this ok to eat after smoke exposure, or should I throw *** every *** type of food out? Thanks in advance.
I would imagine that anything thatโs in an airtight sealed container, such as chip bags, would be fine. That would also include cans. Your refrigerator and freezer, also, would probably count as a sealed container.
Smoke in a building fire can contain all sorts of weird chemicals from burning plastics and whatnot that could get deposited onto stuff, so even if you canโt see any soot in your apartment I wouldnโt dismiss all concerns. How tight is your budget?
The budget isnโt super tight, but nothing is open yet where I am. Iโm just a bit hungry at the moment, because I missed eating for most of yesterday.
When the stores do open, Iโll be at work and will have to wait until after my shift to buy more food.
I hadnโt heard about this aspect of fire safety before today, so I figured I would see if anyone on here knew more about it. Thank you for responding!
If you can, perhaps talk with your boss about the situation. โI am hungry as my apartment building had a fire and all my food might be covered in toxinsโ, is a one off that gets some extra dispensation.
Edit: your response as 6 hours ago. You either are the chips, or are at work.
Yeah, Iโd be generally concerned sleeping in the apartment, but your advice concerning the food seems sound.
Iโve worked in fire restoration. If there was smoke, there will be soot. You can take a white cloth and rub it over surfaces in the apartment to see how bad it is. As for food, the general rule is when in doubt throw it out. If cans are blown out from heat, toss them. If food was exposed to smoke, toss it. If the power was out for a long time, you may have to toss any refrigerated or frozen food. If there was no smoke in your unit you might be fine.
Feel free to dm me if you have further questions.
Only reading the title alone โ Iโm glad youโve got your priorities right.
Seems youโve gotten your answer, but leave an update after you eat and let us know how it went (and to make sure you didnโt die :P )
If you have to ask, youโre not hungry enough to take that risk. Toss those chips. Donโt take unnecessary chances with your body.
