Firefighters respond to Miwok mold

[Guest guest]

Firefighters respond to Miwok mold

Amador Ledger-Dispatch - ,CA*

Friday, December 21, 2007

By Josh McCoy

http://www.ledger-dispatch.com/news/newsview.asp?c=232268 & topStory=1

A bobbled response to mold growing in the bathroom of an

administrative center in Ione led to a large turnout from

firefighters on Main Street around 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The spreading mold had earlier been discovered by an employee who

tore away the wallpaper in the bathroom, according to Pamela

Baumgartner, administrator for the Ione Band of Miwok Indians with

headquarters at 14 West Main Street. Someone then used ammonia to

clean it and left the bottle open. Concerns over the smell and

underlying mold caused Baumgartner to go to the fire station for

help.

Fourteen firefighters amassed at the station, with five of them

moving to Main Street and putting on breathing equipment to

investigate the bathroom, Ione Fire Chief Ken Mackey said. Later,

after the lid on the bottle was secured and the rooms aerated by

high volume fans, fire personnel told Baumgartner it was safe to re-

enter, she said.

While elsewhere in Ione, a school building and library have been

locked off for months because of mold problems, the Ione band

resumed business as usual Wednesday morning. Baumgartner said the

fire department led her to believe it was safe, but Mackey said they

weren't referring to the mold.

" We responded to the report of an odor and found an open container

of cleaning ammonia, " Mackey said. " We didn't hear anything about

mold. "

Baumgartner contacted the owner of the property to deal with the

mold, she said, but hadn't received a response at press time.

" Hopefully that's not what it is officially, " she said. " I'm not

panicking, but I am concerned. "

All mold is potentially dangerous for some people, according to Bob

Hartmann, Amador County Public Health Officer, but serious health

risks are rare. He added that mold is typically only bothersome to

people with pre-existing allergies or immune deficiencies.

If mold is discovered in large quantities or has spread behind walls

or floors, he suggested contacting the Environmental Health

Department, which refers people to qualified professionals.

Evacuations are not always necessary, he said, but quarantining a

particular problem area is often advisable, he said, while the

extent of the growth is investigated and managed.

" Unseen mold can be as much a problem as visible mold, " said

Israel, director of environmental health.

Evacuating a home or office is not usually necessary, according to

Hartmann, but quarantining a particular room is often advisable, he

said, while the extent of the growth is investigated and managed.

Israel suggested getting help for any mold problems greater than 10

square feet. Smaller projects can be tackled with tips given in a

publication called " Mold in My Home: What Do I Do? " available online.

Both officials said " black mold, " or stachybotris chartarum, is

commonly mistaken to be the only strain of mold with health risks.

All mold of a certain amount should be avoided, they said.

Rainy season is mold season, Hartmann added, especially for the

older buildings in the county.