A March 10 article in the New York Times shares, “Federal agencies are removing topsoil from burned areas but will not test it for contaminants. So scientists and residents are testing fire-affected properties themselves.”

Among those interviewed for the article is LA Fire HEALTH Study consortium member, Anthony Wexler, who is conducting soil and ash testing for the Study:

Whether or not the remaining soil on burned land is tested, it is safe to assume the soil is toxic at some level, said Anthony Wexler, the director of the Air Quality Research Center at the University of California, Davis.

….

People at the most risk include workers involved in the cleanup and rebuilding efforts. Wearing appropriate protective equipment and wetting down the earth before work begins can help mitigate the risk, Dr. Wexler said. Residents of fire-affected areas should also keep their windows closed and run air purifiers when construction occurs nearby, he said.

For all that, though, Dr. Wexler suggested that it may not be worth testing the soil, because the results of such tests can be difficult to interpret and may miss some contaminants.

“I’m not so sure that testing the soil is going to get you anywhere, other than freaking people out, because people are still going to want to rebuild,” he said.

Read the full article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/10/us/los-angeles-wildfires-soil-contamination.html