The toxic aftermath of the L.A. area fires: Why residents fear it’s not safe to go home

Sixteen months after the Eaton Fire, which torched 9,400 homes in Altadena, Calif., lots remain empty. Residents fear contamination in the soil and inside standing homes that were filled with smoke. Evan Bush / NBC NewsEnvironmentThe toxic aftermath of the L.A. area firesSince the Eaton Fire, Altadena residents have found hazardous substances like lead and asbestos on their properties, fueling fear, conflict, and a patchwork of emerging research.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 14, 2026, 9:45 AM EDTBy Evan Bush and Aarne HeikkilaALTADENA, Calif. — A mother started her son on chelation therapy to remove lead from his blood. A geochemist will not enter his home without a respirator and a full-body suit. A cinematographer spent thousands to get the lot where his home once stood tested for heavy metals and remediated — work the government cleanup program did not do.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Sixteen months after the Eaton Fire, these are the extreme measures Altadena residents are taking to deal with a host of toxic compounds, including arsenic and asbestos, plaguing their families and properties. The contamination is a result of the unprecedented nature of this urban firestorm, in which thousands of houses and cars became the blaze’s fuel, releasing heavy metals into the smoke. Even after charred debris was cleared from lots where homes burned and after the houses that remained standing were remediated, testing has revealed concentrations of lead high enough to sicken children. “I went and got one of those Amazon lead tests for $75 and I did a few swipes and found lead everywhere,” said Jennifer Rochlin, a ceramic artist and single mother to two sons. Her insurance company, she said, did not approve lead testing for her Altadena home until she found the metal herself, including in her HVAC system.Rochlin has twice moved out and twice had to replace...