Many people who’ve lost everything in a wildfire will eventually be allowed to return to their property. Here’s how to tackle the seemingly impossible first steps. I hope these tips will help:

1. Nothing will be where you think it will be

When walls collapse, everything is pushed toward the center of the room. So, rather than trying to remember where things were, try to find any clue that you recognize and imagine what else was around that. If you’re looking for a jewelry box that was near a window, you won’t find it at the edge of things; you’ll find it a few feet away, under a jumbled mess of melted window-frame remnants.

2. Wear rubber boots, work gloves, and sturdy jeans

Soot is oily and will get into the fibers of your clothes and likely will not come out. Use N95 masks, not just a face covering. This is dangerous work amid fire-affected metal and glass. Everything you touch will be toxic.

3. Bring several buckets and a good sifting tray, if you can get your hands on one

Any other tools you might want at an excavation site will be helpful: shovels, water, bristle brushes, etc. Also, metal detectors aren’t as helpful as you might think, because there will be so much metal everywhere.

4. Try to treat it like a true archaeological excavation

Make a plan, and imagine the area in a grid. Be methodical about exploring one space at a time, move in the same direction, and move the materials out of the space. This is especially important if you’re searching specifically for items like jewelry.

5. Start early in the day, and give yourself plenty of time

Consider dedicating a few days. This is emotionally exhausting labor, and it’s a much bigger project than you think. You might also want some time to recover before returning to work.

6. This is maybe the most important: Go in with zero expectations

People will apply logic about how your jewelry will definitely be fine. But gold and silver melt at high temperatures, and trust me, it was

that

hot. You might get lucky. But don’t count on it, and don’t get your hopes up based on nice things people who haven’t done this work might say. Zero expectations and a few deep breaths. It’s going to be rough.

7. Whatever things you find to carry into the next chapter of your life will certainly become treasures. (But remember: They are still toxic.)

Prepare yourself for the continued deterioration of whatever you collect. These items have been fired and oxidized, and that does a lot of damage. They will quickly become brittle. Some things will literally crumble into dust in a year or two or break during a small shift while you’re dusting.

8. It’s going to hurt. A lot.

Maybe they are just “things,” but they were

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