'Toxic air' created by US Maui wildfire to affect health for years: CBS News

NEW YORK - Weeks after a devastating wildfire ripped through the historic Maui town of Lahaina in Hawaii, the "toxic air" it left behind presents a big threat to the health of the local residents, reported CBS News on Tuesday.

"Wildfire smoke is known to cause a range of health issues, most notably breathing issues. But when they burn through cities, the flames also burn up industrial items, buildings, cars and a slew of other things that can release toxic chemicals," noted the report.

Maui County Councilmember Tamara Paltin, who chairs the Disaster, Resilience, International Affairs and Planning Committee, said she believed it's toxic.

"The arsenic, the asbestos, the lead. Close to the burnt zone, we've heard from volunteers having adverse effects," she said. "One lady I had heard was coughing up blood after being there a number of days."

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wildfire ash can irritate the eyes, nose, skin and other parts of the body. Children and those with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or heart disease are particularly vulnerable, as are those who are pregnant, it added.