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After firefighters spent hours fighting a fire at the former Kresge Department Store building in downtown New Haven, testing showed that there was asbestos in the building. Burning can release asbestos fibers as construction materials are destroyed. Officials have not released information about the amount of asbestos found. About 60 firefighters worked for hours, many without respiratory protection, to subdue the flames. Some firefighters were breathing thick smoke at the site for 10 to 14 hours, and there is concern about whether they were exposed to asbestos and and other toxins by breathing the smoke. Firefighters who are concerned have been told to go to the Occupational Health Department at the Hospital of Saint Raphael to be tested, but some asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma can take decades to develop. For example, the longterm health effects to rescue workers at the World Trade Center six years ago remain unknown, even though almost 70 percent of those workers already suffer respiratory problems.
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