Maui wildfire survivors living or working in fire-damaged parts of Lahaina are more likely to show evidence of long-term exposure to harmful toxins, according to recent research.

Maria Linz has worried about living in Lahaina since her family first returned to their smoke-damaged home in the Leialiʻi area three days after the August 2023 disaster.

For months after the fire, dust and ash coated nearly every surface of her house on the northern outskirts of the burn zone, no matter how much she cleaned. Concerned about toxins, Linz decided to send her immunocompromised mother and elementary school-age son to live with a family member in California for a year. Her son has since returned and the amount of dust that blows into the home has decreased significantly, but Linz said she still fear

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