City Scales Back Fire Health Emergency Concerns as Environmental Tests Show Reduced Risks

Citing improved environmental conditions, Pasadena Public Health Officer Parveen Kaur has amended the Local Health Emergency Declaration related to the Eaton Fire. Environmental testing conducted by the City of Pasadena, coupled with mobile air monitoring by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, has demonstrated that the immediate public health threats from fire debris and wildfire smoke have significantly decreased.

“Based on air monitoring and city facility testing data, the Pasadena Public Health Department is updating the local health emergency declaration to reflect priorities posed by current conditions,” stated Acting Health Officer Parveen Kaur. “More environmental data is needed and if necessary, we will issue additional guidance to protect public health,” said Kaur.

Rather than ending the emergency declaration entirely, officials have refocused it on three critical priorities: reducing potential exposure to environmental contaminants in ash and particulate matter; ensuring the safe removal of toxic substances from private properties; and positioning the city to access state and federal funding for local health protection efforts.

The decision follows comprehensive environmental testing at nine city facilities that detected no asbestos.

Other testing revealed that lead level measurements at these locations fell below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Dust Lead Action Level of 5 micrograms per square foot — a stringent standard established to protect children in homes and childcare centers.

City officials said residents can view the complete facility test results on the City Facility Environmental Test Results map at cityofpasadena.net/eaton-fire/#facility-testing-results.

Additional City confidence arises from mobile air monitoring conducted by South Coast Air Quality Management District on January 31, 2025. These tests showed no elevated levels of heavy metals such as lead or arsenic, or benzene. The results remained within background levels and below both national standards and state health thresholds.

The monitoring did detect some elevated methane levels in Altadena, possibly indicating gas leaks. South Coast Air Quality Management District has reported these findings to utility agencies for further investigation.

To maintain vigilance, the South Coast Air Quality Management District has established two stationary monitoring sites in the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire areas. These monitors collect and report hourly air quality data in near real-time on their website at xappp.aqmd.gov/WildFireMonitoring. This ongoing monitoring helps evaluate air quality near staging areas, truck activity, and other locations affected by cleanup activities.

The City of Pasadena continues to partner with County, state, and federal agencies to safely mitigate health risks posed by the wildfire and ensure coordination and access to recovery resources.

For those seeking additional information, the full amended Local Health Emergency Declaration is available at: cityofpasadena.net/public-health/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/Amended-Local-Health-Emergency-Eaton-Wildfire.pdf.

Local environmental testing results and information about the amended temporary leaf blower ban can be found at cityofpasadena.net/city-manager/news/city-of-pasadena-shares-environmental-test-results-amends-temporary-leaf-blower-ban/.