415 Poison Oak Cases Among Firefighters Battling Soberanes Fire Near Big Sur
BIG SUR (KCBS) -- As if battling the Soberanes fire wasn't enough for firefighters in Big Sur, they're now facing another challenge from poison oak in the area.
"We've had over 5,000 personnel at the incident at its peak, and we've had over 415 cases of reported poison oak exposure," Cal Fire Captain Rick Crawford told KCBS.
So far, none of the cases have progressed to what the department deems serious, but Crawford says they are taking precautions.
"The only real problem is secondary infection with the bacteria. The other quasi-serious problem is if it gets into the lungs, which for the firefighters is a potential difficulty," Dr. Arnold Leff with the Santa Cruz County Public Health Department said.
Poison oak medication is the department's number one donation request.