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Even after the fires were put out, ash was still settling into the surrounding areas and onto the pavement. This made the job of cleaning the pavement even more difficult. “One sweep is not enough. We’re returning two and three times to get all the ash because it’s still airborne; it’s still settling.”

Although Cannon Pacific has seen an increase of business in the aftermath of the fires, Miller says eventually business will level off and return to normal. “I think in terms of long-term impact on the construction side it is going spike and then level off.” Miller says he sees a similar increase and leveling off for the parking lot side of his business also. The biggest challenge he is facing is in scheduling the additional work during the spike.

The wildfires had similar effects on Apache Asphalt and Seal Corp., Vista, CA. Apache Asphalt offers paving, sealcoating, striping, overlays, removal and replacement work, and crackfilling services in San Diego County. During the fires, the company also had to close down, according to President Stewart McClure.

“We had two large sealcoating jobs that we were doing -about 300,000 sq. ft. of sealcoating,” McClure says. “The smoke was so thick with the ash falling down that we had to cancel that work and try to reschedule it in the next couple of weeks. They also had to evacuate the area we were working in.”

He says an office manager came in a couple hours each day to check the phones, but no work could be done. That week’s loss of income had a definite financial effect on the business, he says.