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She had to spread her fingers wide to even hold the gossamer clump — it was larger than the palm of her hand. The gargantuan ash was just one of the more terrifying visual reminders for Balaei that the North Bay fires were nearing and might soon wreak havoc on her own neighborhood. Balaei said she and her family — her mother and year-old daughter — live in the Southeast 2 Evacuation Zone for the Glass Firebut have not yet received any notices or orders for mandatory evacuations.

Past wildfires— including Tubbs, Kincaid and Walbridge — taught them to keep all their important documents and memorabilia together, close to the door. Sunday night, Balaei and her family preemptively packed up their belongings into the car, knowing well that wind could change everything. But so far, the wind seems only to have brought in the debris from other neighborhoods less fortunate.

This year, she said, the ash looks different. Everything in the air is tinted yellow-ish gray, with black spots for where the ash dots the ground.

Some of the ash pieces almost look fibrous, like pieces of black string. And when Balaei drives around, she can see where other cars have driven because the tires leave white powdery tread marks.

But the wind is blowing very hard, and so anything loose may be easily swept in. Embers can get carried up to a mile or more away, she said. According to the EPA, ash from burned structures is more hazardous than forest ash.

But either way, protecting oneself from ash is important — it can irritate the skin, eyes and nose and can lead to lung and breathing issues. The EPA recommends avoiding direct contact with ash and washing it off as soon as possible if exposed, and making sure children, pets and those more vulnerable are kept away from any ash. Goggles are also a good idea, and respiratory protection N95 or P is necessary. More information on ash and how to protect yourself from it can be found here.

Annie Vainshtein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.

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