Seventeen months after the Palisades and Eaton wildfires consumed more than 16,000 structures across Los Angeles County in January 2025, families are rebuilding without verification that soil beneath their new homes has been tested for toxic contamination. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA agreed to remove hazardous ash and up to six inches of topsoil from destroyed properties but decided against post-remediation confirmatory soil testing—a decision that breaks with precedent established after every major California wildfire cleanup dating back to the 2018 Camp Fire.
What burns leaves behind toxic legacy
When modern homes burn, they release lead vapor from paint, electronics, and plumbing fixtures; arsenic from wood preservatives; benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)—known carcinogens—from combustion of plastics and synthetic fabrics; and PFAS “forever chemicals” from non-stick cookware and firefighting foam. Independent soil testing by the Los Angeles Times found lead levels in fire-affected soil exceeding California’s residential safety threshold of 80 parts per million in multiple locations. Researchers in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology have urged the state to reduce the residential screening threshold for lead from 80 ppm to 55 ppm based on new evidence that children can be harmed at lower soil lead concentrations.
Precedent abandoned
After the 2018 Camp Fire, which destroyed Paradise, post-removal soil testing found dangerous contamination levels remained in properties where topsoil had already been removed, requiring additional remediation. Wildfire research shows contamination creates “hotspots” at varying soil depths, and disturbance during cleanup operations can migrate contaminants deeper into the soil profile. California Assemblymember Laura Friedman stated: “FEMA’s refusal to test for toxins in the soil after wildfire cleanup in Los Angeles County is unacceptable. Families deserve to know their homes are safe and free of dangerous chemicals. This is a break from decades of FEMA precedent—and it risks exposing entire communities to long-term health threats.” LA County residents returning to fire-affected properties should request independent soil testing before construction, prevent children from playing in bare soil until testing confirms safety, and avoid planting food gardens without verification.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.medicaldaily.com/health-alert-los-angeles-families-are-rebuilding-homes-toxic-soil-federal-agencies-stopped-475477