One recommended tactic to prevent soot contamination is to employ mesh screening around building vents in eaves, siding, dryers and roofs. 

As of September 2015, 27 active wildfires were burning around the United States, damaging nearly 1.6 million acres of land. The valley fire in California — deemed one of the most destructive wildfires in U.S. history — had burned a total of 70,000 acres, destroyed 585 homes and displaced 13,000 people before it was even 30 percent contained.