Health officials say cleanup of toxic materials in Lahaina may take months

State health officials say that cleanup of toxic materials resulting from the fire in Lahaina will likely take weeks, if not months.

"It's going to be a long time," said State toxicologist Diana Felton.

Over the next two weeks, Felton said teams led by the Environmental Protection Agency will work to remove obvious hazards, like propane tanks, from the area.

But the majority of ash and debris will take much longer to clear, and Felton warned that it may contain several toxic contaminants.

"These areas should be approached very carefully, very cautiously," Felton said.

There is a high chance that many of Lahaina's older buildings had lead paint or asbestos, since the town was built well before the 1970s.