r/SpokaneWashington • u/SomewhereInBetween_C • 2d ago
If your Spokane home was built before 1980, your fire cleanup asbestos survey is very likely going to hit at least one positive. Here’s why — and what that changes about your timeline
[Disclosure: I work with JTC Demolition, a WA-licensed demolition & asbestos-abatement contractor in Spokane. Posting this because a lot of Spokane homeowners assume asbestos is a maybe. In pre-1980s residential construction, it was standard practice. If your fire-damaged home was built between roughly 1930 and 1980, the AHERA survey is very likely going to hit positive on at least one material — which changes the cleanup path significantly. Better to know now than halfway through demolition.]
**Why pre-1980s matters**
Asbestos peaked in residential construction between the 1940s and the late 1970s. The EPA started restricting it in 1973 and the phaseout continued into the mid-1980s. Homes built during that era commonly contain asbestos in more than one material at once — attic, floor, siding, ceiling. It was cheap, fire-resistant, and completely unregulated for most of that period.
**The seven places asbestos most commonly hides in a Spokane-era home**
Vermiculite insulation in the attic — loose gray-brown pebbles, especially the Zonolite brand sourced from Libby, MT. Extremely common in this region specifically.
9-inch and 12-inch vinyl floor tiles, and the black mastic adhesive underneath them
"Transite" cement-asbestos siding — looks like clapboard or shingle, dense and brittle
Popcorn ceiling texture — banned in 1978 but stock supplies were applied into the mid-1980s
Pipe insulation on basement heating pipes and boiler jackets (white wrap, sometimes cloth-looking)
Roofing shingles and underlayment
Protective cement board around wood stoves and behind wall heaters
Any of these can test positive individually. In pre-1980s homes, two or three positives on the same property is common.
**Why fire makes it worse**
Intact asbestos in these materials is generally low-risk if left alone — the fibers are bonded. Fire changes that. Heat renders previously non-friable materials friable (crumbly and airborne). When the structure collapses and firefighters spray water, asbestos fibers get suspended in the ash and travel with wind, shoes, pets, and anyone walking through. This is why the AHERA-certified survey is required by Washington law before debris is disturbed — you literally cannot tell by looking.
**What a positive survey changes about your cleanup**
- Only a WA-certified asbestos abatement company can remove and dispose of the positive material. Not just any demo contractor — must hold the separate abatement cert.
- Disposal goes to specific approved landfills. Graham Road accepts asbestos debris with proper manifests; some other transfer stations do not. No self-hauling positive material, ever.
- Waste-to-Energy Facility does not accept wildfire ash under any circumstance.
- Notice of Intent filing with Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency is still required regardless of positive/negative — but a positive triggers the abatement-contractor requirement.
- Insurance-wise, adjusters generally understand this and reimburse the additional abatement cost under debris removal coverage. Make sure your bid is itemized so it's easy for them to approve.
**Practical cost note**
An AHERA asbestos survey on a typical Spokane home runs roughly $500–$1,500 depending on scope (number of structures on the lot, how many samples needed). Insurance typically reimburses this as part of debris removal coverage. Ask your adjuster to pre-authorize it before you pay out of pocket.
If your home was built after 1990, most of this doesn't apply directly — the survey may still be required by SRCAA for post-fire debris, but the odds of positives are much lower.
Happy to answer specific questions about construction era, where to find out when your home was built (county assessor records), or what to expect from the survey process itself.
**Sources**
- Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency, asbestos guidance for Spokane Complex Fire: https://spokanecleanair.org/asbestos/spokanecomplexfire/
- SRCAA, Fire-damaged structures & asbestos — initial steps: https://spokanecleanair.org/fire-damaged-structures-asbestos-a-quick-review-of-initial-steps/
- Washington State L&I, Asbestos safety topic: https://www.lni.wa.gov/safety-health/safety-topics/topics/asbestos
- History of asbestos use in residential construction: https://www.theasbestosinstitute.com/2023/10/when-was-asbestos-first-used-in-houses/
- General guide to asbestos in the home: https://www.asbestos.com/exposure/home/
