Toxic Air Created by Maui Wildfire to Affect Health for Years

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.

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"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. One lady I had heard was coughing up blood after being there a number of days," she pointed out.

The text reads, "Google Map has updated satellite view of Maui. More data suggesting the use of direct energy weapons."

Wildfire ash can irritate the eyes, nose, skin and other parts of the body, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Children and those with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or heart disease are particularly vulnerable, as are those who are pregnant.

The wildfires, which started on Aug. 8 and blazed through the oceanside town of Lahaina on Maui, left at least 115 people dead, making the fires one of the worst natural disasters in Hawaii's history and the deadliest U.S. wildfires in more than a century.