The LA fires destroyed more than 13,000 structures, but thousands more were left standing in their wake. They were not burned, but saturated in smoke. Even homes beyond the perimeter of the burn zone had smoke damage. But there still hasn't been a lot of testing of these structures — or the soil around them — to see what toxins remain, leaving doubt in the minds of some survivors about whether it's safe to come back. In the absence of the federal government, a handful of local government organizations, universities, and nonprofits have stepped in to help with soil testing. The latest effort is coming from the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. They just announced a $3 million program in conjunction with some nonprofits groups to test and clean the soil at homes still standing in the areas impacted by the Eaton Fire. GUEST: Tony Briscoe, Environmental Reporter for the L.A. Times. Feds won’t test soil after L.A. wildfire cleanup: https://www.latimes.com/00000194-fcb2-df26-a396-fdb326f10000-123. Uncovering the toxic soil lurking in L.A.’s burn zones: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-05-04/treated-like-dirt-soil-testing-project. L.A. County Board of Supervisors Advances Soil Remediation Program to Protect Altadena Families After Eaton Fire: https://kathrynbarger.lacounty.gov/l-a-county-board-of-supervisors-advances-1m-soil-remediation-program-to-protect-altadena-families-after-eaton-fire/
The LA fires destroyed more than 13,000 structures, but thousands more were left standing in their wake. They were not burned, but saturated in smoke. Even homes beyond the perimeter of the burn zone had smoke damage. But there still hasn't been a lot of testing of these structures — or the soil around them — to see what toxins remain, leaving doubt in the minds of some survivors about whether it's safe to come back.
In the absence of the federal government, a handful of local government organizations, universities, and nonprofits have stepped in to help with soil testing. The latest effort is coming from the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. They just announced a $3 million program in conjunction with some nonprofits groups to test and clean the soil at homes still standing in the areas impacted by the Eaton Fire.
GUEST: Tony Briscoe, Environmental Reporter for the L.A. Times.
Feds won’t test soil after L.A. wildfire cleanup: https://www.latimes.com/00000194-fcb2-df26-a396-fdb326f10000-123. Uncovering the toxic soil lurking in L.A.’s burn zones: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-05-04/treated-like-dirt-soil-testing-project.
L.A. County Board of Supervisors Advances Soil Remediation Program to Protect Altadena Families After Eaton Fire: https://kathrynbarger.lacounty.gov/l-a-county-board-of-supervisors-advances-1m-soil-remediation-program-to-protect-altadena-families-after-eaton-fire/