No, we aren’t going to get ‘toxic rain’ from the #Campfire smoke

See update below from person who ade the social media post-Anthony

I’ve been asked to write this, because this silly fear mongering keeps making the rounds on social media.

It has about the same level of sophistication as the disproved idea that “chemtrails” are raining poison on us from the skies, and comes from an uneducated set of premises cobbled together.

Here’s the straight facts.

1. Yes, it is going to rain in the areas devastated by the #Campfire. Yes, that will cause some problems such as possible flash flooding and ash runoff into creeks.
2. Most of the really toxic smoke from the fire happened during the first two days when structures and vehicles were burning, which had fuel, plastics, household chemicals, and other substances mixed in. That smoke has either dissipated from the atmosphere or has already been blown out to sea. It doesn’t remain suspended over the fire area. See the image above of the smoke plume, all of the most toxic smoke was blown to the southwest.
3. The existing fire line is well outside city limits and burning trees and brush, rather than buildings and automobiles. The current smoke we are experiencing is no worse that what you’d get from a wood stove or a fire you make while camping.
4. Due to the fact that the temperature inversion capping smoke in the valley floor the past week finally dissipated yesterday, air quality in Chico and surrounding areas has dramatically improved and is now at 147 as of this writing. Source. Even if there was still “toxic smoke” from the original time remaining in the area, there would be little of it to be precipitated out with rain.

Even better, the forecast suggests that by the time we get rain, the particulate level will be even lower.

When the rains come, it won’t take long for the particulates (smoke particles) to be washed out of the air. The air will be clean and safe to breathe. It won’t become toxic water, neither acidic, or poison. There’s just too little pollutants per volume of water to be a health risk.

There’s no danger from rain after a wildfire, and anyone who says there is doesn’t know what they are talking about. Even Snopes agrees.

Please share this widely to fight ignorance and fear.

h/t to Laurie Maloney

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Update: via email, from Chris Berry.

Hey Anthony, thanks for the information. I realized my error yesterday and deleted my post completely.

Unfortunately, I had retyped bits from a post I read a few days prior, and obviously didn’t take the time to check into it as I should have. I was going to hunt for that post to reference it but didn’t have the time to do it at the moment. A friend asked to make the post public, and next thing I know I have over 3k shares and then saw I was wrong, and deleted the post.

I’m not a member of the group that you shared your post in, but was hoping you may do me the favor of copying and pasting this message in there? If it wouldn’t be too much trouble I’d appreciate it. Thank you sir, and thank you for providing the correct information.