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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
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A federal judge today held the Department of Homeland Security in contempt for allegedly slow-rolling an order to create digital copies of communications from personal and government cell phones used by immigration agents during operations in the Los Angeles area last year.
How we got here: U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong in the Central District of California previously ordered the federal government in January to expedite imaging the personal cell phones of more than 800 agents involved in controversial immigration raids in Los Angeles in 2025.
Read on... for more on the case.
A federal judge on Tuesday held the Department of Homeland Security in contempt for allegedly slow-rolling an order to create digital copies of communications from personal and government cell phones used by immigration agents during operations in the Los Angeles area last year.
U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong in the Central District of California previously ordered the federal government in January to expedite imaging the personal cell phones of more than 800 agents involved in controversial immigration raids in Los Angeles in 2025.
Judge Frimpong imposed a fine of $500 per day on the federal government until it complies with the order to turn over phones as part of discovery and reimburse plaintiffs’ attorneys for the legal costs of getting the records.
Attorneys for DHS admitted in court in June that the agency had not provided the records. They told the judge they were processing the government devices at a rate of three phones every two weeks, which plaintiffs noted would take nearly four years to complete.
Attorneys representing immigrants caught up in Operation At Large — the name given to the Trump administration’s Los Angeles immigration crackdown last year — argue the phones may contain evidence of a pattern of racial profiling by federal agents.
Attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union wrote in May that the Department of Homeland Security “simply proceeded to thwart” Frompong’s order “by dragging their feet on imaging government-issued cell phones and by openly defying the order as to personal phones.”
Last month, ACLU attorneys asked Frimpong to issue another order that would prohibit agents from detaining people based on their race. They cited text messages and body camera footage in which agents used racial slurs, including “wet and “tonks,” to identify working-class Latinos to stop, according to court records.
“Not only are federal agents violating the Constitution on the streets, the government is violating court orders by intentionally withholding critical evidence about its immigration enforcement operations.” said Mayra Joachin with the ACLU of Southern California.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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L.A. City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado introduced seven motions Tuesday, all geared toward providing immediate and long-term relief for community members who’ve been hurt by the aftermath of the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights.
What the package includes: Jurado is calling for a Mitigation Response Fund of up to $10 million to provide aid for impacted residents and small businesses that have lost revenue as the neighborhood continues dealing with foul odors, flies, rats and other vermin. Jurado also wants to see higher penalties for corporate negligence, and create a commission to advise L.A.’s city leadership on environmental justice policy.
Why it matters: After the fire in mid-June, tons of food at the cold storage warehouse were left to rot. Now, more than a month later, community members are still dealing with odors and pests. This has disrupted local businesses, community spaces, and everyday quality of life.
Read on... for more on what's being proposed.
L.A. City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado introduced seven motions Tuesday, all geared toward providing immediate and long-term relief for community members who’ve been hurt by the aftermath of the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights.
According to Jurado, the legislative package is centered around three priorities:
Jurado is calling for a Mitigation Response Fund of up to $10 million to provide aid for affected residents and small businesses that have lost revenue as the neighborhood continues dealing with foul odors, flies, rats and other vermin. Jurado also wants to see higher penalties for corporate negligence, and create a commission to advise L.A.’s city leadership on environmental justice policy.
After the fire in mid-June, tons of food at the cold storage warehouse were left to rot. Now, more than a month later, community members are still dealing with odors and pests, which have disrupted local businesses, community spaces and everyday quality of life.
Local activists and community members say the Lineage fire aftermath is part of a long legacy of environmental injustice in Boyle Heights. In recent decades, residents have also dealt with pungent smells from rendering plants in the neighboring city of Vernon. And up until 2015, Vernon was also home to Exide, a battery recycling facility that contaminated the soil of thousands of homes in surrounding communities with lead. The taxpayer-funded cleanup for that issue is still ongoing. Lineage also has several facilities in the city of Vernon.
Jurado’s proposed commission “can serve as an interdisciplinary body to identify and start to protect our communities from historical harms that continue to function as standard practice today,” said mark! Lopez, a community organizer at East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice.
Community members will have a chance to provide public comment on Jurado’s motions before they move to a full council vote.
In a statement, Jurado said recovery "cannot mean removing debris and moving on.” In her view, it must also involve the “aggressive pursuit of every recoverable dollar from responsible parties” and "give communities that have carried Los Angeles' environmental burdens real power over what happens next."
Lineage President and CEO Greg Lehmkuhl previously said in a statement that he cannot estimate how long the cleanup will take. “What we can tell you is this: there are people on site working on this recovery 24/7,” he added.
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L.A. County will provide assistance grants to small businesses that suffered financial loss from the Lineage warehouse fire that burned for a week in June.
About the funds: The grants from Supervisor Hilda Solis’ discretionary budget will be disbursed within 45 days — and then draw from countywide funds if needed. The county will also seek reimbursement for the grants from Lineage. The Department of Public Health and County Counsel will also evaluate new fees and penalties for businesses that pose environmental or health risks in L.A. County. Some fee increases could fund county assistance for future economic disasters.
Keep reading... for who is eligible and what to have ready to qualify.
L.A. County will provide assistance grants to small businesses that suffered financial loss from the Lineage warehouse fire that burned for a week in June in Boyle Heights. The fire's aftermath has many in the community seeking help to recover.
The county surveyed business owners in the area who said they are continuing to face a loss of customers and revenue amid persisting odor from food in the Boyle Heights warehouse that continues to rot in the summer heat. The fire started June 17 and burned until June 24. It initially generated significant air quality hazards and prompted evacuations.
The grants from Supervisor Hilda Solis’ discretionary budget will be disbursed within 45 days — and then draw from countywide funds if needed. The county will also seek reimbursement for the grants from Lineage. The Department of Public Health and County Counsel will also evaluate new fees and penalties for businesses that pose environmental or health risks in L.A. County. Some fee increases could fund county assistance for future economic disasters.
Small businesses within the affected area will be able to apply for the grants. The county is looking to prioritize initial funding for businesses that have not already received emergency financial support from other organizations.
The Board of Supervisors and Department of Economic Opportunity will announce more about the amount of assistance and how to apply when those details are made final. Affected business owners and residents can find more information on the L.A. County Recovers website.
Existing documentation from L.A. County recommends you collect the following documentation of any damage.
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The Los Angeles City Council voted 13-1 on Tuesday to put a measure on the November ballot that will ask voters whether homeowners affected by the Palisades Fire should be exempt from the city’s controversial “mansion tax.”
The details: If passed, the exemption would apply to the sale of homes damaged or destroyed by the fire. The exemption would last until early 2030, five years from the date of the fire. This could potentially reduce the tax’s revenue by up to 6% — or $32 million each year — according to a May 2026 report from the L.A. Housing Department.
The background: The “mansion tax,” officially called Measure ULA, is a tiered tax on real estate selling for $5.4 million or more in L.A. The tax, which was passed by voters in 2022, funds programs such as rental assistance, eviction defense and affordable housing construction in the city.
Where council members stand: In Tuesday’s meeting, Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez cast the lone vote against placing the measure on the November ballot. She has previously argued the ballot language should have done more to make owners of multiple properties ineligible for the tax break. Thirteen council members supported the move. Councilmember Curren Price was not present for the vote.
Read on… for more on what the new ballot measure could mean for Palisades Fire survivors.
The Los Angeles City Council voted 13-1 on Tuesday to put a measure on the November ballot that will ask voters whether homes affected by the Palisades Fire should be exempt from the city’s controversial “mansion tax.”
If passed, the exemption would apply to the sale of homes damaged or destroyed by the fire. The exemption would last until early 2030, five years from the date of the fire.
This could potentially reduce the tax’s revenue up to 6% — or $32 million each year — according to a May 2026 report from the L.A. Housing Department.
The “mansion tax,” officially called Measure ULA, is a tiered tax on real estate selling for $5.4 million or more. The tax, which was passed by voters in 2022, funds programs such as rental assistance, eviction defense and affordable housing construction in the city.
The measure has fierce defenders, as well as staunch critics. A statewide ballot measure sought to kill the tax before it was pulled by supporters earlier this year in exchange for a legislative deal in Sacramento.
State and local lawmakers have considered reducing the tax or exempting newly constructed apartment buildings. Their ideas have been guided by economic studies that found the tax was slowing down housing development in the city. So far, none of those reforms have mustered enough support to pass.
Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, whose district includes Highland Park, Chinatown and Westlake, previously spoke against the measure’s scope at a City Council meeting on July 1.
“Any exemption should only be for homeowners whose primary residence was destroyed, and people who genuinely need help rebuilding, not LLCs, investors or people with a portfolio of properties,” Hernandez said. “We had the opportunity to write those protections into this ordinance, and we didn’t.”
Hernandez criticized her colleagues for shooting down the post-fire eviction protections she proposed after tenants living in her district lost work as gardeners and nannies in the Pacific Palisades.
“When wealthy property owners need relief, we’re willing to bend over backwards,” she said. “But when working class people and tenants need protection, suddenly our hands are tied and the political will is not there.”
Councilmember Traci Park, who represents the Pacific Palisades, voiced support for the measure at the same meeting.
“Putting this tax on these folks who are trying to recover and reckoning with the fact that some of them just aren’t coming home, is just unspeakably cruel,” Park said. “It’s an exemption that applies in very narrow circumstances to original owners and first transactions for five years, only for residential properties. This is the least we can do as this community continues to recover.”
In Tuesday’s meeting, Hernandez cast the lone vote against placing the measure on the November ballot. Thirteen council members supported the move. Councilmember Curren Price was not present for the vote.
L.A. voters will have the final say on whether Palisades homeowners will be exempt from the tax. The proposal needs a simple majority of support from voters in the upcoming November general election to pass.
The L.A. City Council tends to meet Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Meetings typically start at 10 a.m.
Here’s how you can follow along:
