Renters who sued LA County over lack of Eaton Fire ash cleanup secure settlement

Los Angeles County public health officials agreed this week to settle a lawsuit that alleged government officials had systemically failed to protect renters dealing with toxic ash in the wake of the Eaton Fire.

As part of the settlement, the county will require landlords to carry out professional inspections and cleaning of rental housing units in Altadena, which from now on county officials will presume were impacted by the fire.

In a written statement to LAist, officials with the L.A. County Department of Public Health said: “The presumption that these properties were affected by the fire and require remediation will protect the health of the residents.”

During the fire that ignited in January, smoke residue from thousands of destroyed homes in Altadena was spewed into nearby apartments. The ash — which contained remnants of lead paint, plastic products and electric car batteries — was identified as toxic by public health officials.

But renters said when they contacted the county for help getting their homes cleaned, they were left to fend for themselves. Many reported that their landlords refused to deal with the ash, and the county initially would not order property owners to carry out inspections or professional cleaning.

Lena Silver, an attorney with Neighborhood Legal Services of L.A. County who represented the tenants who filed the lawsuit, said the settlement establishes clear responsibilities for the county to address tenants’ lingering health concerns from the fire.

“Nobody should live in a house covered in this toxic smoke, soot and ash,” Silver said. “I think we landed, finally, in the right place. So hopefully, nothing like this ever happens again.”

How to get help under the new settlement terms

Renters who live downwind of the Eaton Fire burn zone can ask for more information or file a complaint at this Department of Public Health website.

If tenants file a complaint by Dec. 31, an inspector from the recently established Rental Housing Habitability Program for unincorporated areas of L.A. County will be sent to their unit. That inspector also will contact the landlord and order them to pay for professional testing and, if needed, professional cleaning to bring the unit back up to the county’s habitability standards.

Landlords who fail to comply with these orders could face fines and other administrative punishments.

Lawsuit cites LAist reporting on lack of cleanup

The lawsuit was filed by renters with the Altadena Tenants Union, a group that sprung up in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire to advocate for tenant rights in the recovery process. The complaint they filed against the county cited LAist’s previous reporting on public officials’ lack of enforcement around smoke damage claims in rental housing.

Leora Mosman, an organizer with the Altadena Tenants Union, moved out of her smoke-damaged rental home after other units in her complex burned down. She said she was forced to move to Glendale because no one would remediate the ash quickly.

Now, more than eight months after the fire, Mosman said she is not sure she’ll ever return to her former unit in Altadena. But she hopes the settlement will help displaced tenants after future fires — as well as those renters who had no financial choice but to return to ash-filled homes.

“For me personally, this might be coming too late,” Mosman said. “But I do hope that for my neighbors and for other Altadena tenants, it will help their situations.”

The settlement also requires the county to conduct an outreach campaign to educate affected tenants about their rights, using physical mail, social media, library postings and collaboration with community groups.

The city of Pasadena is facing a separate lawsuit over similar issues. Tenants and city officials in that case have not reached a settlement.