Topline:
Previous scientific research shows that the detritus left behind after a fire can be laden with toxic compounds and gases, from heavy metals to burned plastics to asbestos.
Why it matters: Exposure to the ash and even air can cause short-term health impacts, from the runny eyes Ronaghi experienced to respiratory issues and mor
Keep reading ... for tips on how to protect yourself while cleaning up after the fires.
Reza Ronaghi lost his home in the Los Angeles wildfires last week.
"Not a single house survived in our two-block area," he said.
Ronaghi is a pulmonologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. So he is well-acquainted with the health risks associated with breathing in wildfire smoke. But even he, a medical professional, was shocked to see how many potential health risks lurked in the detritus, ash, and smoke left behind after the fires.
"This is not just a regular fire," he said. The ash contains material from "thousands of houses and all the material the house was made of, the inside, the appliances, the roof, the list goes on."
But what alarmed him more was how little health and safety guidance officials offered to residents returning to the neighborhood to see what was left of their homes.
He and several neighbors were allowed back into their Pacific Palisades neighborhood a few days after the burn; the ground was still smoking. He wore an N95 mask, but quickly realized he should have more thoroughly protected himself — with gloves, goggles, a respirator mask like those used when working with chemicals, and long clothes that he could remove and bag immediately after leaving the area.
After just 20 or 30 minutes, he said, his eyes were watering and his nose was irritated. Later on, he realized his skin was irritated where it had accidentally been exposed.
Previous scientific research shows that the detritus left behind after a fire can be laden with toxic compounds and gases, from heavy metals to burned plastics to asbestos. Exposure to the ash and even air can cause short-term health impacts, from the runny eyes Ronaghi experienced to respiratory issues and more.
But it's not just the immediate health issues that concern Ronaghi. The exposure people experience now, he worries, could lead to health effects down the road.
Exposure to toxic materials left behind after houses burn can be "actually much more dangerous than what smoke may do to your lungs alone," he said.
So as people return to their homes, he wants them to take care — because "right now, we're talking about long-term consequences."
It matters what materials have burned
Wildfire smoke and ash can be dangerous to people's health even when a fire burns primarily trees and plants. But fires that burn through man-made materials are often filled with a more toxic mix. After California's 2018 Camp Fire, researchers found abnormally high concentrations of lead downwind of the burn, which they suspect came from the houses that went up in smoke. Researchers in Los Angeles have found preliminary suggestions that the ash there has high concentrations of metals, as well. Exposure to lead can lead to short-term problems like headaches or dizziness. High exposures have been associated with issues from cognitive trouble to reproductive and cardiovascular problems.
It's not just metals. Appliances, coolant fluid, polyester curtains, cleaning products — all the manmade parts of a house can produce a rich suite of health-harming compounds and gases, like benzene and formaldehyde, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs.
But research on the long-term effects of wildfire smoke has only recently begun.
Surveys after the Lahaina wildfires in 2023 found that residents exposed to smoke and ash experienced increases in heart, kidney, and mental health issues. An EPA-led study exposed mice to smoke from army burn pits, which include many materials that might be found in burning homes and cars; the mice exposed to the smoke showed signs of inflammation and lung injury.
In the most damaged and contaminated areas, officials will usually send in debris-removal teams to clear away the most dangerous waste and ash. But Ronaghi stressed that anyone visiting the area before that process is complete should take precautions.
He recommends anyone visiting burn sites use N95 masks or respirators, if possible, along with goggles to protect their eyes (ski or swim goggles would work in a pinch, he says); gloves; and long clothes that they can remove before returning to wherever they're staying. Bag those clothes during transport, and wash them immediately upon arriving home, other experts suggest, to avoid bringing hazards into your living space.
Even those whose homes are still standing, including those far from the front lines of the fire, may be contending with ash and smoke. Research conducted after the 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder, Colo., found that "smoke managed to penetrate indoors and through cracks underneath doors and windows," in homes downwind of the fire, said Joost de Gouw, a University of Colorado, Boulder atmospheric chemist and author of one of the studies. Residents reported health disturbances, from headaches to respiratory problems, for weeks afterward.
Hazardous gases associated with the wildfire smoke, such as benzene and naphthalene, could be detected in homes downwind of the Marshall Fire long after the burns were put out. Those gases, another study suggested, could have been absorbed by textiles, mattresses, and maybe even the wood framing and drywall in homes.
Those gases take time to dissipate, de Gouw said, during which period residents may still be exposed.
After the fire, "all of these gases that were absorbed into building materials were slowly being rereleased through indoor air, where you were smelling them," he said. "That process took about five weeks before everything ventilated out again."
How to clean up
Even for those farther from the burned neighborhoods, the cleanup could be dangerous — and could stretch over weeks.
Because the leftover ash and smoke can contain dangerous components, experts who spoke with NPR recommend protecting yourself thoroughly whenever you clean your home if it was affected by wildfire smoke.
"People who are going back to these homes should wear N95 masks to protect themselves," said Colleen Reid, a health geographer at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who worked on one of the Marshall Fire smoke studies. "We found that when people cleaned, it resuspended that ash," lifting it back into the air where people might inhale it.
Reid also suggests wearing gloves and long-sleeved clothes and pants while cleaning.
She said scientists are still working on coming up with rigorously tested recommendations for best cleaning practices after wildfires. But a 2023 study shows that cleaning a home's hard surfaces by dusting, wiping down with damp cloths, and mopping can effectively lower the concentrations of smoke-associated gases.
Reid suggests "using a HEPA-filter vacuum, and really cleaning all the surfaces — like wiping them down to try to remove those sources of the chemicals that are off-gassing."
More porous surfaces, like couches and other textiles, can persist as an ongoing source of exposure; Reid suggests replacing them, if possible.
de Gouw and other researchers found that constantly running air filters with activated carbon lowered the gas concentrations in those first weeks after the fire. But concentrations went back up when the air filters were stopped — so "it's important to keep them running for those few weeks," he said.
Research from Portland State University found that PAH levels can be lowered post-fire by simple cleaning and washing any textiles that can be washed. Long-term exposure to PAH's has been linked to increased risk of cancer.
The message, said de Gouw, is to clean everything one can carefully and thoroughly, because the smoke can affect nearly every part of a home — even in houses far from the fire line. Any efforts to lower the dose of potentially dangerous smoke and ash byproducts can help protect people, he said.
Ronaghi is still dealing with the fallout of the fires. For now, his family is dealing with the loss of their home and figuring out how, and where, to rebuild their life.
But as he processes, he wants to make sure others understand the ongoing risks.
"Most of the time we hear about fires and we say, okay, you know, we'll be okay. We're kind of removed from it," he said.
But for people across Los Angeles, it's all too possible to be exposed to health-damaging toxins right now: "And you won't know for a very, very, very long time," he said. "That's why it's super important" to protect yourself.
Copyright 2025 NPR
Topline:
Without a mosque, the community prayed at the Indonesian consulate for years. Now the Pico Union mosque is their own third space.
The backstory: For years, Indonesian Muslims in Southern California gathered at the Indonesian Consulate on Wilshire Boulevard for prayer. The congregation transformed a diplomatic space into a temporary spiritual refuge. The arrangement worked, but there was always a longing for home. “The idea is you want to have a space where you belong, be someone who is regular, and have a safe space. Those are things where you can grow as an individual,” said Honest Qashidi, 33, who serves as the resident Imam at Masjid At-Thohir.
Why it matters: For Indonesian Muslims living across Los Angeles, it has become a kind of third space somewhere between the private world of home and the demands of work and public life. That distinction matters in Los Angeles, where the Indonesian community is substantial but geographically dispersed. Unlike communities with a concentrated ethnic neighborhood, Indonesian Angelenos do not have a single “Indonesia Town” around which daily life revolves, Qashidi said. The mosque on Kenmore Avenue is that constant for the community.
Read on... for more on how L.A.’s Indonesian Muslims found a spiritual home in Pico Union.
This story first appeared on The LA Local.
From the outside, the Gothic architecture of Masjid At-Thohir does not immediately announce itself as a neighborhood mosque.
The white facade, arched windows and steep roofline are now home to an Islamic community of Indonesians in Pico Union.
For years, Indonesian Muslims in Southern California gathered at the Indonesian Consulate on Wilshire Boulevard for prayer. The congregation transformed a diplomatic space into a temporary spiritual refuge. The arrangement worked, but there was always a longing for home.
“The idea is you want to have a space where you belong, be someone who is regular, and have a safe space. Those are things where you can grow as an individual,” said Honest Qashidi, 33, who serves as the resident Imam at Masjid At-Thohir.
For Indonesian Muslims living across Los Angeles, it has become a kind of third space somewhere between the private world of home and the demands of work and public life.
That distinction matters in Los Angeles, where the Indonesian community is substantial but geographically dispersed. Unlike communities with a concentrated ethnic neighborhood, Indonesian Angelenos do not have a single “Indonesia Town” around which daily life revolves, Qashidi said. The mosque on Kenmore Avenue is that constant for the community.
“For the elders, it’s where they find their nostalgia. It’s a home away from home. But folks that grew up here, and trying to make sense of what it means to belong in a place; that is the aim of what I am trying to do in this space,” Qashidi said.
Built in 1920, the building once served as the place of worship for the Los Angeles Samoan Community Christian church.
When that congregation left the neighborhood, the church’s pastor negotiated a deal in 2017 to sell the building to the Indonesia Muslim Foundation, the nonprofit group that coordinates activities in Los Angeles for the Indonesian Muslim community.
The nonprofit purchased the building for approximately $1.8 million, according to Qashidi.
Today, the historic structure is home to what many Indonesian Muslims in Los Angeles had long been missing: a mosque of their own.
Qashidi said, “The pastor wanted this space, if it were to be passed down, it would still stay a space of worship.”
The sale and conversion of the building was made possible by Indonesian billionaire Garibaldi Thohir, former CEO of Alamtri Resources Indonesia, one of the world’s top coal exporters. Garibaldi studied at USC and his brother, Erick Thohir, was also educated in Southern California.
The doors at the mosque officially opened in March 2022 after several delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The mosque was named “At-Thohir” to honor their late father, Mochamad Thohir.
“When we were studying in Los Angeles around 2015–2016, my father often visited,” Garibaldi said at the mosque’s opening, according to reporting from Indonesian media. “When he was going to Friday prayers, he often complained about the lack of a mosque nearby owned by the Indonesian community. That’s why we promised to make it happen.”
Calling At-Thohir simply a mosque misses the spectrum of events inside. Located not too far from Pico Boulevard, the mosque shares the neighborhood with other religious institutions like the Sae Han Korean Church and the Pico Union Shalom Ministries.
Food is a big part of the social life, turning prayer gatherings into opportunities to linger over familiar flavors. Every Friday, after the prayer, lunch is served in the backyard. Home-cooked Indonesian food items like bakwan, satay, soto ayam, perkedel, tahu kuning, telur balado and tempeh.
Lily Yulani, 53, one of the women who helps with food every week, joked about her teenage son’s pronunciation of perkedel, a simple mashed potato patty dish.
“My son cannot pronounce P-E-R-K-E-D-E-L yet, so he calls it C-R-O-C-O-D-I-L-E,” Yulani giggled.
Resy Ismail, 65, the woman in charge of serving and preparing food on Fridays, said that much of the food is donated, but she will not let that stop her from giving back to the community.
“Whether there is a donation or not, I will make food every single Friday,” Ismail said.
Ismail is a rantang chef and brings the food from her home in stacked, metal containers. She is proud to serve the community and initiated the meal system in the mosque and continues to coordinate with whoever wants to contribute to the weekly food distribution. Together, they bring different home-cooked items to put together a meal for the visitors at the mosque.
Imam Qashidi said that in a multicultural setting food becomes a gateway to culture. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he attended high school in Jakarta, Indonesia, completed his undergraduate degree in Egypt and is currently pursuing a degree in Islamic Studies from Bayan Islamic Graduate School.
“When you are in America, and you grew up with whatever background you have, the starting point is just food,” Qashidi said.
Apart from food being the most visible marker of community within the diaspora, there are regular Islamic studies classes on weekends taught by Qashidi. There are also workshops on calligraphy, immigration rights, digital literacy and Canva.
Additionally, there are also dance and music classes that do not happen inside the mosque, but in the adjoining auditorium.
People can enroll in a traditional plate dance, or musical performances like Angklung and the Bedug, a large drum traditionally associated with communities in Indonesia.
Raninta Nailah, 13, a Pico Union resident and food distribution volunteer, tries to come to the mosque whenever she’s not in school.
“It’s very close to my community and I feel safe,” Nailah said. “I come to Saturday school here for social studies and I feel good because I have been learning new stuff.”
Topline:
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have required more polluting facilities built near homes and schools to undergo environmental review — a decision that keeps in place looser rules he championed to speed up development in California.
Why it matters: The bill authored by Sen. Catherine Blakespear, a Democrat from Encinitas, responded to fears raised by a chemical incident in Orange County that led to evacuation orders for 50,000 people. It would have narrowed an exemption of the California Environmental Quality Act that covers a broad swath of advanced manufacturing sites. Only facilities handling the final stages of production would have kept the exemption.
Why now: In his veto letter on Friday, Newsom said Senate Bill 954 would have effectively repealed the advanced manufacturing exemption. “Protecting communities and strengthening California’s advanced manufacturing economy are not mutually exclusive goals,” he said. “The exemption was designed to advance both and should be given a meaningful opportunity to work.”
Read on... for more on Newsom's veto.
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have required more polluting facilities built near homes and schools to undergo environmental review — a decision that keeps in place looser rules he championed to speed up development in California.
The bill authored by Sen. Catherine Blakespear, a Democrat from Encinitas, responded to fears raised by a chemical incident in Orange County that led to evacuation orders for 50,000 people.
It would have narrowed an exemption of the California Environmental Quality Act that covers a broad swath of advanced manufacturing sites. Only facilities handling the final stages of production would have kept the exemption.
In his veto letter on Friday, Newsom said Senate Bill 954 would have effectively repealed the advanced manufacturing exemption.
“Protecting communities and strengthening California’s advanced manufacturing economy are not mutually exclusive goals,” he said. “The exemption was designed to advance both and should be given a meaningful opportunity to work.”
Newsom added that if problems arise, the Legislature should address them through targeted changes “not by preemptively rolling back our progress.”
Blakespear in a statement said she’s disappointed by the veto and will raise the issue again next year.
She pointed to the near disaster GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove as an illustration of the danger.
“We should not have to wait for another emergency before recognizing that sweeping – and rushed – exemptions from environmental review need reasonable guardrails,” she said. “Protecting communities and workers is not an impediment to economic growth – it is part of responsible growth.”
The veto is a setback for legislators who advocated for fixing last year’s major overhaul of the state’s landmark environmental law, which Newsom had a heavy hand in shaping and pushed through by threatening to withhold budget funds if lawmakers refused to act.
Lawmakers went along with the overhaul, but expressed concerns about an unprecedented, broad exemption for polluting manufacturing sites from strip mines to clean energy projects.
Environmental advocates said the bill would have still allowed for manufacturing developments, with guardrails to protect communities.
“It's really unfortunate that we have to wait until something bad happens before we make an adjustment,” said Kim Delfino, a lobbyist for environmental justice groups. “A foundation of environmental law is the precautionary principle: that we try to protect instead of waiting for something bad to happen. This is flipping it on its head.”
Asha Sharma, deputy director at Sierra Club California, said California is losing “an important opportunity to protect communities that are once again being asked to bear the risks of industrial development without the safeguards and public participation they deserve.” .
Business and industry groups, including the Bay Area Council and the California Manufacturers & Technology Association, opposed the bill and praised Newsom’s veto, arguing it would stunt economic development.
“From autonomous vehicles and clean energy systems to revolutionary medical devices and digital technologies, advanced manufacturing is building the future and creating the good-paying, high-skilled jobs that California desperately needs,” said Libby Schaaf, chief executive of the Bay Area Council.
This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
Topline:
A high-profile fight between California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Paramount Skydance resolved Monday with a settlement that clears a path for the company to continue with its planned acquisition of another century-old studio, Warner Bros. Discovery. The fight was the latest chapter in the battle for Hollywood, which has been a priority for California lawmakers and the last three governors.
Other attempts to keep production in CA: This year, when the film and television production tax credit clashed with an initiative to cap corporate tax breaks, lawmakers carved independent film producers out of the groups subject to a new cap. In July, the “Select Committee on Growing and Retaining the Creative Economy in California” was created. On Saturday, Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2319 to create a new tax credit for post-production work, including editing and visual effects.
A high-profile fight between California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Paramount Skydance resolved Monday with a settlement that clears a path for the company to continue with its planned acquisition of another century-old studio, Warner Bros. Discovery.
The deal comes after Paramount threatened to leave the state over an antitrust lawsuit led by Bonta and attorneys general from 11 other states that sought to block the $111 billion merger.
Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison reportedly told senior leaders of the company “clearly we’re not wanted here,” during a meeting in August. However, California has taken several steps since the 2000s to retain studios like Paramount.
The fight was the latest chapter in the battle for Hollywood, which has been a priority for California lawmakers and the last three governors.
Here are some ways the state has tried to keep its storied industry:
Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, a Democrat representing Hollywood, said he was delighted a deal was reached to keep Paramount in California, but that the state needs to do more to retain the industry. Zbur is chair of the state’s new Assembly committee focused on keeping film production in California.
“Now that other states are realizing what important, family-sustaining jobs these are, they're competing very aggressively for these jobs,” he said.
Zbur said the committee will explore new state incentives during its first meeting, which he expects will take place in October in Los Angeles.
This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
Topline:
Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, many Medi-Cal enrollees will face new work requirements and eligibility checks — the result of sweeping federal changes that could affect more than 1 million L.A. County residents, according to organizers of a new countywide outreach campaign.
New requirements: If you are a Medi-Cal enrollee between ages 19 and 64, you may soon need to show you're working, volunteering, going to school or in a job training program for at least 80 hours a month or otherwise earning income to keep your public health insurance coverage. Some recipients will also need to prove that they're eligible every six months instead of once a year. Parents of children 13 and younger, pregnant women, older adults and people with disabilities are largely exempt from the requirements.
How to prepare: Organizers of a new campaign called "Keep L.A. Covered" say people are more likely to lose coverage because a notice went to an old address or went unanswered than because they stopped qualifying for Medi-Cal. They encourage enrollees to update their address and phone number with a county Medi-Cal office, watch their mail, and respond promptly to Medi-Cal notices in yellow or white envelopes
How we got here: President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” — formally H.R. 1 — in July 2025, and it reduced federal Medicaid funding while adding a requirement that people who receive benefits work or show they are going to school, volunteering or seeking job training. The new requirements and six-month renewal rules apply to adults 19-64 covered through Medi-Cal’s Affordable Care Act expansion, according to county officials.
Support offered: The countywide campaign aims to train community leaders to warn Medi-Cal recipients about renewal notices. The first training is Oct. 27, hosted by Maternal Child Health Access. County officials say people and organizations can sign up at www.keeplacovered.org.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, many Medi-Cal enrollees will face new work requirements and eligibility checks — the result of sweeping federal changes that could affect more than 1 million L.A. County residents, according to organizers of a new countywide outreach campaign.
If you are a Medi-Cal enrollee between ages 19 and 64, you may soon need to show you're working, volunteering, going to school or in a job training program for at least 80 hours a month or otherwise earning income to keep your public health insurance coverage.
Some enrollees will also have to prove they’re eligible every six months instead of once a year.
Parents of children 13 and younger, pregnant women, older adults and people with disabilities are largely exempt from the requirements.
Nearly 4 million L.A. County residents, or 41% of the population, rely on Medi-Cal — California’s version of Medicaid, a joint federal and state insurance program providing free or low-cost coverage to low-income people.
President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” — formally H.R. 1 — in July 2025, and it reduced federal Medicaid funding while adding a requirement that people who receive benefits work or show they are going to school, volunteering or seeking job training.
The new requirements and six-month renewal rules apply to adults 19-64 covered through Medi-Cal’s Affordable Care Act expansion, according to county officials.
In June, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the rule that implements the work requirement. CMS said in a news release that the framework is meant to promote economic stability and self-sufficiency.
“This rule helps Americans build skills and independence through work, education, job training, or community service, creating new opportunities for themselves and their families,” CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz said in a statement.
Later that month, states including California sued to challenge the changes. In July, a federal judge denied their request to pause the rules while the lawsuit continues.
Last week, L.A. Care Health Plan, which administers Medi-Cal benefits for many county residents and other partners, launched “Keep L.A. Covered,” a public campaign to train community leaders, including pastors, teachers and health workers, to warn Medi-Cal recipients about renewal notices. The first training is Oct. 27, hosted by Maternal Child Health Access.
County officials say people and organizations that want to get involved can sign up at www.keeplacovered.org.
Campaign leaders say people are more likely to lose coverage because a notice went to an old address or went unanswered than because they stopped qualifying for Medi-Cal.
"One missed notice, one missed deadline, one moment of confusion can mean them losing their coverage, and it's not because they're no longer eligible," Martha Santana-Chin, CEO of L.A. Care, said at a campaign launch last week. "It's simply because they haven't been able to navigate the paperwork that's ahead of them.”
The state of California is already mailing letters about the changes, Santana-Chin said.
If the state can't verify compliance, it must send a noncompliance notice and give the enrollee 30 days to prove compliance or an exemption. Otherwise, the application may be denied, or the person disenrolled.
Advocates say the risk is greatest for people without a stable mailing address. Statewide, most people experiencing homelessness are eligible for or already enrolled in Medi-Cal, according to the California Health Care Foundation.
The 2026 Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority homeless count estimated more than 73,000 people were experiencing homelessness in L.A. County. Many would qualify for medical exemptions that would allow them to receive Medi-Cal benefits without proof of work or other requirements, but claiming an exemption requires clinical documentation and regular contact with the healthcare system, the foundation said. Federal guidance doesn't let states exempt people from the requirements solely for being unhoused.
Some details of the 80-hour monthly work requirement remain unsettled. The federal government is still writing the details on what counts as qualifying work, volunteering or education, Santana-Chin said.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services projects the requirement will reduce Medicaid enrollment nationwide by more than 3 million people. The federal agency assumes about 15% of enrollees will lose coverage, about 9% because they don't meet the requirement and about 6% because of paperwork or other administrative barriers. The actual effect depends on how states carry out the rules, according to a recent report from the federal agency.
The Congressional Budget Office, which analyzed the law using different methods, estimated the requirement would leave 5.3 million more people uninsured in 2034.
