Spokane Complex Fire

Asbestos Guidance for Property Owners

As a property owner of a structure(s) damaged or destroyed in the August 2026 Spokane Complex Fire, this page is to assist you in navigating the asbestos requirements. If you don’t find what you are looking for, please let us know.

(If you are an asbestos service provider, please refer to this page for various guidance documents.)

EPA Household Hazardous Material Removal: At the request of the State of Washington, the EPA has been assigned by the FEMA to survey, remove, and dispose of household hazardous materials from properties burned by wildfires in Spokane County. This process started the week of Aug. 16. EPA will not survey your property for asbestos, therefore, please follow these steps:

Steps To Take Before Removing Debris and Ash

Property owners of wildfire-damaged or destroyed structures must:

1) Obtain an Asbestos Survey (test) of the debris and ash that remains from the burned structures (house, garage, outbuildings.) The survey must be done by an AHERA-certified building inspector. A list of asbestos service providers is here. While you are waiting for the survey results, it is important that you, volunteers, or private companies do not move or remove the surveyed debris.

For AHERA Building Inspectors: Prior to beginning a survey, and to prevent any potential adverse impacts to flags/markings, please utilize the interactive parcel look up feature of EPA’s storymap to ensure the HHM removal has been completed on that parcel prior to beginning the survey.

2) Asbestos Survey Results

A negative asbestos survey allows for the removal and disposal of the debris by the property owner or by a hired contractor licensed in Washington. A Notice of Intent (NOI) still must be filed even with a negative survey result (explained in #3 below). A copy of the survey results must accompany the waste, which will be accepted at Graham Road Landfill, or the Valley or Northside Transfer Stations. No ash is being accepted at the Waste-to-Energy Facility.

A positive asbestos survey requires that the removal and disposal of the asbestos-containing ash/debris be conducted by a Washington Certified Asbestos Abatement Company. A list of asbestos service providers is here. Only Graham Road Landfill will accept asbestos-containing debris (your certified abatement contractor will know this).

3) File a Notice of Intent with Spokane Clean Air, whether the asbestos survey is positive or negative. A copy of the NOI is required by the City and County before issuing a demolition and/or building permit. Spokane Clean Air is waiving the NOI fees and waiting periods for those affected by the fires. FILE YOUR NOI ONLINE HERE

Other resources:
Fact Sheet for Property Owners (the same info that is on this webpage but in a printable format)

FAQs for the Spokane Complex Fire (a more detailed document includes safety around returning to your property)

Spokane Regional Health District website provides health and safety information when returning to your fire and/or smoke-damaged property.