The Brief

Diana Lieb was already on the fence about rebuilding after the Eaton Fire swept through her Altadena, Calif., neighborhood and burned down her house on January 7.

There were the still-unresolved insurance claims and economic uncertainty: could she even afford to rebuild? There was also the lingering trauma of going back: her twin daughters' school was also destroyed.

But when she heard there could still be toxins in the soils even after federal clean-up crews removed all the debris from her lot, it was the last straw.

"It would mean rebuilding a home where my kids are gonna grow up, obviously I don't want them to be on land that is toxic," Lieb says. "There has not been much communication about what is healthy to be around."

Lieb and her husband bought in Altadena nine years ago because it was one of the last affordable places in greater-Los Angeles. Their home was originally built in 1926.

In April in a widely circulated report, Los Angeles County health officials found more than a quarter of properties in the Eaton Fire scraped by federal crews still had toxins above California standards.

Lieb decided to list her lot on the market a few days ago. For now, she and her family will continue to live with her parents in West LA.

She says they'll stay there until they can find a condo near her daughters' new school.

"It's just been so much upheaval. I want peace," she says.

The removal of fire debris is months ahead of schedule

LA is approaching the five-month mark since January's wildfires killed 30 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures, many of them homes. Combined, the Eaton and Palisades fires were among the most destructive fires in California history with an estimated $95 to $164 billion in total capital and property losses, according to UCLA's Anderson School of Management.

Initially, federal disaster officials said it could take up to 18 months to clear all the debris. An executive order signed by President Trump in late January ordered a fast-tracking of debris removal. And today the clean-up is months ahead of schedule, with predictions that the entire project could be done as early as this July, according to FEMA. There's political and public pressure to make it easier for fire survivors to rebuild. But a growing number of disaster recovery experts and scientists are questioning whether it's safe.

"How do we know that soil is safe?" says Andrew Whelton, an engineering professor at Purdue University. "Once a disaster like this happens, a number of things we never thought imaginable show up in our lives."

Andrew Whelton stands on a street in Altadena, CA where federal clean-up crews have recently cleared the way for rebuilding.

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Whelton is nationally known for exposing unexpected hazards that crop up after disasters. His work specifically focused on the removal of toxic chemicals from drinking water.

In 2018, his team discovered the water supply in the California town of Paradise was compromised in the aftermath of the deadly Camp Fire. Lately, he's been in LA pushing for comprehensive testing of soils after the lots in the wildfire zone are cleared, something FEMA is no longer required to do nationally.

"It's unclear to me why this is different but it clearly is and this is a problem towards a safe and rapid rebuilding," he says.

On a street in Altadena, residential lots that were recently cleaned up and graded display U.S. Army Corps signs, which indicate it's ok to start building . But Whelton says after destructive fires, there are often lingering benzenes from exploded propane tanks or burned cars and high levels of lead from home exteriors after the debris is removed.

"They used to be bound up in paint and now they're released into the soil and the question is should we let our kids play in that soil," Whelton asks. "How do we know that soil is safe? The only way to do that is by testing."

FEMA is not testing for lingering toxins 

FEMA did not respond to NPR's interview request. But in a brief emailed statement, a FEMA spokesperson who was not authorized to speak publicly said research on previous fires showed it was sufficient to remove 3 inches of topsoil to address residual contamination. The statement went on to say that as a result, FEMA had decided to remove 6 inches of soil "in the interest of public safety."

The agency has told other news outlets that the 6-inch rule has replaced more in-depth soil testing unless there's an immediate hazard.

Whelton disagrees. He says it's standard protocol to test soils as part of the debris removal process. He notes that sampling was carried out in the aftermath of the Camp Fire, the 2021 Marshall Fire in suburban Colorado and the 2023 blazes on Maui. Members of California's congressional delegation joined Gov. Gavin Newsom in appealing FEMA's decision but so far the agency hasn't budged on its decision not to conduct further testing.

Last week, LA County approved a plan to pay for soil testing in the footprint of the Eaton Fire. And in the Pacific Palisades, LA Mayor Karen Bass says the city is looking for private groups to step in and pay for testing the federal government isn't conducting. Bass has faced criticism and even calls to resign over her handling of the fires. In an interview with NPR last month, the mayor said the city is working to ensure that people build back fast but also safer.

"Speed cannot mean that rebuilding would be done in a sloppy manner or that we would skip steps," Bass said.

Flowers have come up on a lot burned by the Eaton Fire east of Los Angeles.

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Thousands of survivors are still in limbo five months later

But no matter how many steps leaders say they'll take, it's too late for many survivors who are giving up and making plans to leave the neighborhoods they once called home.

"Every time that they're cleaning up there, they're kicking all of that stuff back up into the air as well," says Kwynn Perry, whose rental home burned in Altadena.

Perry and her husband, an elementary school principal, recently got their teenage son into a new school in another part of the city and found a new condo to rent at double the price they were paying in Altadena.

They didn't have insurance at the time of the Eaton Fire and now have to pay out of pocket to replace nearly all their belongings.

"Even though we're in a better place, we still feel like we're treading water every day," Perry says.
Copyright 2025 NPR

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena and Pasadena’s music community have really shown up to support fire survivors, especially fellow musicians who lost instruments and record collections.

That effort continues this weekend with a special donation concert at a Pasadena record store, with the aim of getting vinyl records back in the hands of survivors who lost their collections.

“You know, our name is Healing Force of the Universe, and I think that gives me a pretty clear direction… especially after the fires,” said Austin Manuel, founder of Pasadena record store, where Sunday’s show will be held.

The record donation effort is the brainchild of musician Brandon Jay, who founded the nonprofit Altadena Musicians after losing his home and almost all of his family’s instruments in the Eaton Fire. Through Altadena Musicians’s donation and registry platform, Jay said he and his partners have helped some 1,200 fire survivors get their music instruments back.

Brandon Jay.

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Now, that effort has fanned out to restoring vinyl record collections.

“All of that stuff evaporated for thousands of people,” Jay said. “Look at your own record collection and be like, ‘Wow, what if that whole thing disappeared?’”

You might know Jay from several bands over the years, including Lutefisk, a 1990s alt-rock band based in Los Angeles. He and his wife, Gwendolyn Sanford, composed music for TV shows, including Orange is the New Black and Weeds.

Jay plans to play some holiday tunes at Sunday's record donation show (which LAist is the media sponsor), along with fellow musician Daniel Brummel of Sanglorians. Brummel, who was also a founding member of Pasadena’s indie-rock sensation Ozma, said he was grateful to Jay for his fire recovery work and to Manuel for making Healing Force available for shows like this.

Brummel, who came close to losing his own home in the Eaton Fire, recalled a show he played at Healing Force back in March.

Ryen Slegr (left) and Daniel Brummel perform with their band, Ozma, on the 2014 Weezer Cruise.

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“The trauma of the fires was still really fresh,” Brummel said. After playing a cover of Rufus Wainwright’s “Going to a Town,” that night — which includes the lyrics “I’m going to a town that has already been burnt down” — Brummel said his neighbors in the audience told him the rendition hit them hard. “It felt really powerful. And without that space, it just wouldn’t have occurred.”

Details

Healing Force of the Universe Record Donation Show
Featuring: Quasar (aka Brandon Jay), Sanglorians (Daniel Brummel) and The Acrylic.
Sunday, Dec. 14; 2 to 5 p.m.
1200 E. Walnut St., Pasadena
Tickets are $15 or you can donate 5 or more records at the door. More info here.

Topline:

The case: In September, the city settled a lawsuit brought forward by two brothers in their 70s who said they suffered serious injuries after an LAPD officer crashed into their car. Days before the $18 million settlement was reached, lawyers for the brothers said Feldstein Soto called an expert witness testifying for the plaintiffs and “attempted to ingratiate herself with him and asked him to make a contribution to her political campaign,” according to a sworn declaration to the court by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Robert Glassman.

The response: Feldstein Soto did not respond to an interview request. Her spokesperson said the settlement “had nothing to do” with the expert witness. Her campaign manager told LAist the city attorney had been making a routine fundraising call and did not know the person had a role in the case, nor that there were pending requests for her office to pay him fees.

What Jurado says: In a statement to LAist, Jurado said she wants to “make sure that the city’s legal leadership is guided by integrity and accountability, especially when their choices affect public trust, civic rights and the city’s limited resources."

What’s next: The motion needs to go through a few committees before reaching the full City Council. If it passes, the motion calls for the city attorney to “report to council in closed session within 45 days regarding the ethics breach violation and give updates to the City Council."

Every year in Santa Ana, Luis Cantabrana turns the front of his home into an elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe that draws hundreds of visitors.

Along the front of the house, the multi-colored altar is filled with lights, flowers and a stained-glass tapestry behind a sculpture of the Lady of Guadalupe. Cantabrana’s roof also is lit up with the green, white and red lights that spell out “Virgen de Guadalupe” and a cross.

Visitors are welcomed with music and the smell of roses as they celebrate the saint, but this year’s gathering comes after a dark year for immigrant communities.

Luis Cantabrana stands in front of the stunning altar he built in front of his home in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe. Every year, his display draws hundreds of visitors.

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Why do they celebrate? 

In 1513, the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Juan Diego between Dec. 9 and Dec. 12, asking him to build a church in her honor. Her image — a brown-skinned woman wearing a green veil with her hands together in prayer and an angel at her feet — miraculously appeared on his cloak.

To celebrate in Santa Ana, worshippers gathered late-night Wednesday and in the very early hours Dec. 12 to pray the rosary, sing hymns and celebrate the saint.

Cantabrana has hosted worshippers at his home for 27 years — 17 in Santa Ana.

The altar started out small, he said, and over the years, he added a fabric background, more lights and flowers (lots and lots of flowers).

“It started with me making a promise to la Virgen de Guadalupe that while I had life and a home to build an altar, that I would do it,” Cantabrana said. “Everything you see in photos and videos is pretty, but when you come and see it live, it's more than pretty. It's beautiful.”

The Santa Ana home's elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe draws hundreds of visitors each year.

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Destiny Torres

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LAist

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Gathering in a time of turmoil 

Many also look to the Lady of Guadalupe for protection, especially at a time when federal enforcement has rattled immigrant communities.

“People don’t want to go to work, they don’t want to take their kids to school, but the love we have for our Virgen de Guadalupe,” Cantabrana said. “We see that la Virgen de Guadalupe has a lot of power, and so we know immigration [enforcement] won’t come here.”

Margarita Lopez of Garden Grove has been visiting the altar for three years with her husband. She’s been celebrating the Virgencita since she was a young girl. Honoring the saint is as important now as ever, she said.

“We ask, and she performs miracles,” Lopez said.

Claudia Tapia, a lifelong Santa Ana resident, said the Virgin Mary represents strength.

“Right now, with everything going on, a lot of our families [have] turned and prayed to the Virgen for strength during these times,” Tapia said. “She's a very strong symbol of Mexican culture, of unity, of faith and of resilience.”

See it for yourself

The shrine will stay up into the new year on the corner of Broadway and Camile Street.