Why clearing out spoiled food may not be enough after disasters

People returning home after a natural disaster like a wildfire, may encounter unpleasantness, including the smell of rotting food left for weeks in their fridges and freezers.

Jasper, Alta., residents are expected to return to their community on Friday to see what remains following a devastating wildfire. And while some will be able to enter their homes again, they’ll likely find more than smoke or water damage – many will need to get rid of spoiled food.

When the town was evacuated some three weeks ago, food was left in fridges and freezers. As electrical service was interrupted during the firefight, that food – produce, meat and dairy among other things – will have gone bad.

Connie Shields of Fort McMurray, Alta., faced a similar situation when she returned home after being evacuated due to wildfires in 2016. She says it was not a pleasant experience.

“I walked in and within minutes the smell of the fridge would knock you sideways, it was horrific,” she said, adding meat in the fridge was one of the worst culprits.

While people may think they can just open the fridge and clean it out, food that has been spoiled for even just a few days could lead to more than just a bad smell. Some experts say it may be wise to toss out the fridge altogether.

“One of the first cleanup issues people impacted by a wildfire may face is dealing with damaged refrigerators and/or freezers,” a spokesperson for the Insurance Bureau of Canada told Global News in a statement.

“Depending on the damage to your appliance, the contents inside and if there was an extended period of power outage, (that) will determine if your appliance could be cleaned or should be discarded.”

In the case of Fort McMurray, Shields said residents were originally asked to clean out fridges and put the contents into triple-bagged garbage bags and then into municipal garbage containers. That didn’t pan out, however, as the smell of rotten food was unbearable for many.