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After the Fires: The Danger in Plain Sight When You Just Want to Go Home

Published April 21, 2025

The fires are out.
The sirens are silent.
And your house — covered in soot and debris — is somehow still standing.

You return to your neighborhood. It’s eerily quiet. Your neighbors haven’t come back yet. But you’re here, trying to figure out one thing:
Can I move back in?

Before you answer that, here’s something you need to know. The real threat might not be what you see — it’s what you don’t.

🌫 The Air Carries a Hidden Cost

In a recent conversation with Dr. Stephen Baruch, we discussed the long tail of wildfire damage. And it goes way beyond burnt trees and scorched walls.

Dr. Mark Gold, Director of Water Scarcity Solutions at the NRDC and former UCLA Associate Vice Chancellor for Environment and Sustainability, shared something jaw-dropping:

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) ships — 100 miles off the California coast — detected wildfire particles in the ocean air.

Even more concerning? PM2.5 particles from the Eaton Canyon fire were traced 14 miles south to Pico Rivera.

😷 Why PM2.5 Should Scare You (Even If You Feel Fine)

PM2.5 refers to ultra-fine particles (2.5 micrometers or less) — smaller than a strand of hair. Invisible. Odorless. Dangerous.

Exposure to PM2.5 has been linked to:

• Heart disease
• Asthma attacks
• Bronchitis
• Lung cancer
• Stroke
• Type 2 diabetes
• Low birth weight in infants

And yes, N95 masks can help.
But UCLA’s Prof. Yifang Zhu puts it plainly:

“If you can smell smoke, it means you are being exposed and should take precautions.”

What Wildfire Smoke Actually Does to Your Body

💝Dr. Michael Jerrett, UCLA’s Chair in Climate Change and Public Health, breaks it down into three critical pathways:

1. Disrupted Autonomic Signaling
   Your nervous system can’t properly regulate your heart.
2. Systemic Inflammation
   Inhaled particles inflame your lungs — which can spread to your heart and brain.
3. Direct Bloodstream Exposure
   The smallest particles bypass your lungs’ defenses and go straight into your blood.

And that’s just the air.

🌍 The Ground Beneath You Isn’t Safe Either

Wildfires heat soil to extremes — between 50°C and 1500°C (122°F to 2732°F). This heat, plus ash and erosion, changes soil chemistry and unlocks hidden hazards.

Take lead, for example:
When burned above 932°F, lead-containing materials release lead vapor — highly toxic when inhaled. Especially dangerous for kids, it can damage brain development and the nervous system.

Your house may look clean… but what about your yard? Your shoes? Your kids’ toys?

⚠️ Lithium, Lead, and Long-Term Risk

A report by the Los Angeles Times [“How L.A. Removed 1 Million Pounds Of Flammable Lithium-Ion Batteries From Its Burn Zones,” 4/19/25 by Laura Nelson] uncovered that after this year’s L.A. wildfires, over 1 million pounds of lithium-ion batteries were found buried in the debris. That’s roughly 1,480 Tesla batteries’ worth of heavy metals — leaching into soil, air, and water.

But the most disturbing detail?

In Noah Haggerty’s recent Los Angeles Times piece [“A Calamity Waiting to Unfold”, April 16, 2025], two separate research teams found lead levels over 100 times the EPA limit inside standing homes in the Eaton Canyon burn area.

“Several tons of lead have been released by the fire,” one expert said,
“and it’s been deposited wherever the fire plume went.”

🏡 So… How Far Is Far Enough to Be Safe?

That’s the question nobody really knows how to answer — yet.

If your house was downwind from a fire plume, the risks aren’t just outside — they may already be inside. In your carpet. In your air vents. In your garden.

Before moving back in, consider this checklist:

• ✅ Air quality testing (indoor & outdoor)
• ✅ Soil and dust sample analysis
• ✅ Professional environmental assessment
• ✅ Replacement of HVAC filters and deep cleaning

Because “survived the fire” doesn’t always mean “safe to return.”

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Future posts will explore wildfire recovery, environmental justice, and real solutions for post-disaster communities.

Stay safe out there.