Eaton Fire survivors Friday urged Gov. Gavin Newsom and elected officials representing Altadena to ensure properties undergo robust remediation to address contaminants after a recent report found that many homes continued to test positive for asbestos and lead following initial clean up.
On Friday, members of the Eaton Fire Survivors United, a group of Altadena residents affected by January’s blaze, conducted a news conference to discuss the results of their report. A survey of about 50 homes found that 50% of them received access to asbestos testing and 90% of homes had lead testing.
Of those 50 homes, 25 of them tested positive for asbestos, or about 36%, post-remediation. Meanwhile, 45 out of 50 homes, about 96%, tested for lead post-remediation.
The organization states that the laboratory findings indicate that thousands of homes in the Altadena area are unsafe for families and individuals to return to.
“We’re here today, 10 months to the day since the Eaton Fire, on behalf of thousands of residents whose homes are still standing,” Jane Lawton Potelle said, founder of Eaton Fire Survivors United. “We deserve not just to return to our homes, but to be safe in our homes. And right now, our homes are not safe. They’re full of dangerous poisonous contaminants left over from the fire.”
“We’re asking for something very simple, clearance before occupancy,” Potelle added.
The organization is calling on Newsom, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and elected officials representing Altadena to ensure that each home that survived the fire should be required to achieve “comprehensive clearance status” before residents are moved back in.
“Public officials promised we would be able to return home safely,” Potelle said. “We’re asking them to follow through with their promise and force insurance and companies to finish the job properly so that we can come home safely.”
The results are similar to findings of a Los Angeles Times investigation that was published in May, which found toxins remained in the soil despite federal clean up crews removing about seven feet of topsoil, and other remediation efforts.
The Times arranged for sampling 40 properties, of which 20 that had survived and 20 that were cleaned up by federal crews in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. Soil taken from those properties were tested for 17 toxins.
Nicole Maccalla, an Altadena resident of 11 years, is a faculty member at USC. Her home suffered structural and smoke damage from the Eaton Fire.
“We’ve analyzed a sample of 50 homes that were tested after remediation. These are homes that have supposedly been cleaned up, but the data shows that the majority of homes are not safe to return to,” Maccalla said, who is also the director of data science and educational outreach for the advocacy group.
“Six out of 10 remediated homes remain uninhabitable due to lead and or asbestos. Asbestos is a highly carcinogenic substance known to cause lung disease and lung cancer,” Maccalla added.
She also warned that lead can result in serious health problems, especially in children and pregnant women. Powell noted only one in four homes was tested for ash, soot and char contamination post-remediation of those homes.
“We know most standing homes are not being comprehensively tested for contaminants that can cause severe illness or death,” Maccalla said. “This has to change. It is essential that everyone understand that achieving clearance status may require more than one round of remediation.”
Several homeowners and members of the Eaton Fire Survivors United shared their experiences of having their claims delayed or denied by their insurers.
They urged insurance companies to cover housing expenses for impacted homeowners until their homes have successfully passed comprehensive testing.
Rep. Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park, in a statement said she was “deeply alarmed” by the findings released by the Eaton Fire Residents United.
“It is unacceptable that, as many survivors of the Eaton Fire see their compensation for temporary housing deplete, many of our neighbors are being forced to decide between a roof over their heads or risking exposure to deadly toxins,” Chu said in her statement.
Chu urged Newsom, Lara and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to immediately adopt a so-called “Clearance Before Occupancy” standard to ensure fire survivors can feel safe from exposure to toxins before returning home.
She called on Lara to hold insurance companies accountable and ensure they cover testing and allow multiple remediation rounds until homes are cleared.
Chu recommended that Newsom declare an “Ash Zone” to provide a formal recognition of homes outside of a fire’s direct burn zone but impacted by ash and smoke.
“This designation would protect the health and wellbeing of our community members, as well as make it easier for impacted households to demonstrate the impact they’ve experienced following a fire and receive the compensation and assistance needed,” Chu said in her statement.
State Farm, one of the largest insurers in California, has maintained it is helping customers recover from the fire.
“Our hearts and thoughts go out to the people and communities affected by these fires,” according to a statement from State Farm.
According to the company’s webpage dedicated to California customers impacted by wildfires, State Farm has received more than 13,500 claims as of Thursday, and has paid almost $5 billion to state customers.
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