One Year After LA Wildfires: Residents Fear Returning to Their Rebuilt Homes
“DANGER: Lead Work Area” reads a sign on the front door of an Altadena home. “May damage fertility or the unborn child. Causes damage to the central nervous system.”
Block after block, there are reminders that contaminants still linger in the aftermath of the devastating wildfires.
House cleaners, hazardous waste workers, and homeowners alike come and go wearing masks, respirators, gloves, and hazmat suits as they wipe, vacuum, and power-wash homes that weren’t burnt to ash.
Related: Insurance Payments Now at $22.4B From LA Wildfires One Year Ago
It’s been a year filled with heartbreak and worry since the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history scorched neighborhoods and displaced tens of thousands. Two wind-whipped blazes ignited on January 7, 2025, claiming at least 31 lives and destroying nearly 17,000 structures, including homes, schools, businesses, and places of worship. Rebuilding will take years.
The disaster has brought another wave of trauma for people fearful of what still lurks inside their homes.
Indoor air quality after wildfires remains understudied, and scientists are still uncertain about the long-term health impacts of exposure to massive urban fires like those in Los Angeles. Some chemicals released are known to be linked to heart disease and lung issues, while exposure to minerals like magnetite has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Ash in the area is a toxic mix of incinerated cars, electronics, paints, furniture, and personal belongings. It can contain pesticides, asbestos, plastics, lead, or other heavy metals.
Many homeowners with properties still standing are now living with the hazards left by the fires.
People Forced Back into Their Altadena Homes
Nina and Billy Malone considered their home of 20 years a safe haven until smoke, ash, and soot seeped inside, leaving behind harmful levels of lead even after professional cleaning. Recent testing revealed that the toxin still lingers on the wooden floors of their living room and bedroom.
They were forced to move back home in August after their insurance cut off rental assistance.
Since then, Nina wakes up almost daily with a sore throat and headaches. Billy had to get an inhaler for his worsening wheezing and congestion. Their bedroom, Nina noted, smells “like an ashtray has been sitting around for a long time.” She worries most about exposure to unregulated contaminants that insurance companies aren’t required to test.
Related: Morningstar: A Year Later, LA Wildfires Were ‘Significant Stress Event’ for Insurance Sector
“I don’t feel comfortable in the space,” said Nina, whose neighbors’ homes burned down across the street.
They’re not alone.
Data Shows Dangerous Lead Levels Still in Homes
A report released in November by Eaton Fire Residents United, a volunteer group, revealed that six out of ten homes damaged by smoke from the Eaton Fire still have dangerous levels of cancer-causing asbestos, brain-damaging lead, or both. This data comes from 50 homeowners who have cleaned their homes, with 78% hiring professional cleaners.
Of the 50 homes, 63% had lead levels above the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard, with average levels nearly 60 times higher than the EPA’s rule.
Even after the fires were extinguished, volatile organic compounds from smoke, some known to cause cancer, lingered inside homes. To mitigate these risks, residents returning home should ventilate and filter indoor air by opening windows or using high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifiers with charcoal filters.
Zoe Gonzalez Izquierdo struggles to get her insurance company to pay for adequate cleanup of her family’s Altadena home, which tested positive for dangerous levels of lead and other toxic compounds.
“They can’t just send a company that’s not certified to wipe things down so we can go back to a still contaminated home,” said Gonzalez, who has children ages 2 and 4.
Experts believe the lead, which can linger in dust on floors and windowsills, comes from burned lead paint. The University of Southern California reported that more than 70% of homes affected by the Eaton Fire were built before 1979, when lead paint was common.
“For pregnant individuals and young children, it’s particularly important that we do everything we can to eliminate exposure to lead,” said pediatrician Dr. Lisa Patel, executive director for the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health and a member of the climate group Science Moms.
The same goes for asbestos, she added, as there is no safe level of exposure.
‘We Have to Live in The Scar’
Residents of the Pacific Palisades, which also faced destruction, encounter similar challenges. They are at the mercy of their insurance companies, who dictate coverage and compensation. This has become a grueling, constant battle for many. The state’s insurer of last resort, known as the California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan, has faced scrutiny for its handling of fire damage claims.
Homeowners are advocating for state agencies to enforce a requirement that insurance companies restore properties to their pre-fire condition.
Julie Lawson won’t take any risks. Her family paid about $7,000 out of pocket to test the soil in their Altadena home, even though their insurance company had agreed to cover the replacement of the grass in their front yard. They plan to test for contaminants again after remediating the inside. If insurance won’t cover it, they’ll pay for it themselves.
Even if their home becomes livable again, they still face other losses, including equity and the community they once had.
“We have to live in the scar,” she said. “We’re all still really struggling.”
They will be living in a construction zone for years. “This isn’t over for us.”
Challenges And Mental Health Toll
Annie Barbour with the nonprofit United Policyholders has been assisting people in navigating these challenges, which include insurance companies resisting payment for contamination testing and industrial hygienists disagreeing on what to test for.
She observes the mental health toll it’s taking on residents — and as a survivor of the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Northern California, she understands their plight.
Initially, many were joyful to see their houses still standing.
“But they’ve been in their own special kind of hell ever since,” Barbour said.
Now, residents like the Malones are meticulously inspecting their belongings, fearing they may have absorbed toxins.
Boxes, bags, and bins filled with clothes, chinaware, and everything in between clutter the couple’s car, basement, garage, and home.
They have been painstakingly assessing what they believe can be adequately cleaned. In the process, Nina is cleaning cabinets, drawers, and floors, still finding soot and ash. She wears gloves and a respirator, or sometimes just an N-95 mask.
Their insurance won’t cover retesting their home, Billy said, so they’re considering paying the $10,000 themselves. If results show contamination persists, their insurance company has stated they will only cover the cleanup of federally regulated toxins like lead and asbestos.
“I don’t know how you fight that,” said Nina, who is contemplating therapy to cope with her anxiety. “How do you compel an insurance company to pay for something to make yourself safe?”
AP staff writer Alex Veiga contributed to this report.
The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
“DANGER: Lead Work Area” reads a sign on the front door of an Altadena home. “May damage fertility or the unborn child. Causes damage to the central nervous system.”
Block after block, there are reminders that contaminants still linger in the aftermath of the devastating wildfires.
House cleaners, hazardous waste workers, and homeowners alike come and go wearing masks, respirators, gloves, and hazmat suits as they wipe, vacuum, and power-wash homes that weren’t burnt to ash.
Related: Insurance Payments Now at $22.4B From LA Wildfires One Year Ago
It’s been a year filled with heartbreak and worry since the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history scorched neighborhoods and displaced tens of thousands. Two wind-whipped blazes ignited on January 7, 2025, claiming at least 31 lives and destroying nearly 17,000 structures, including homes, schools, businesses, and places of worship. Rebuilding will take years.
The disaster has brought another wave of trauma for people fearful of what still lurks inside their homes.
Indoor air quality after wildfires remains understudied, and scientists are still uncertain about the long-term health impacts of exposure to massive urban fires like those in Los Angeles. Some chemicals released are known to be linked to heart disease and lung issues, while exposure to minerals like magnetite has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Ash in the area is a toxic mix of incinerated cars, electronics, paints, furniture, and personal belongings. It can contain pesticides, asbestos, plastics, lead, or other heavy metals.
Many homeowners with properties still standing are now living with the hazards left by the fires.
People Forced Back into Their Altadena Homes
Nina and Billy Malone considered their home of 20 years a safe haven until smoke, ash, and soot seeped inside, leaving behind harmful levels of lead even after professional cleaning. Recent testing revealed that the toxin still lingers on the wooden floors of their living room and bedroom.
They were forced to move back home in August after their insurance cut off rental assistance.
Since then, Nina wakes up almost daily with a sore throat and headaches. Billy had to get an inhaler for his worsening wheezing and congestion. Their bedroom, Nina noted, smells “like an ashtray has been sitting around for a long time.” She worries most about exposure to unregulated contaminants that insurance companies aren’t required to test.
Related: Morningstar: A Year Later, LA Wildfires Were ‘Significant Stress Event’ for Insurance Sector
“I don’t feel comfortable in the space,” said Nina, whose neighbors’ homes burned down across the street.
They’re not alone.
Data Shows Dangerous Lead Levels Still in Homes
A report released in November by Eaton Fire Residents United, a volunteer group, revealed that six out of ten homes damaged by smoke from the Eaton Fire still have dangerous levels of cancer-causing asbestos, brain-damaging lead, or both. This data comes from 50 homeowners who have cleaned their homes, with 78% hiring professional cleaners.
Of the 50 homes, 63% had lead levels above the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard, with average levels nearly 60 times higher than the EPA’s rule.
Even after the fires were extinguished, volatile organic compounds from smoke, some known to cause cancer, lingered inside homes. To mitigate these risks, residents returning home should ventilate and filter indoor air by opening windows or using high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifiers with charcoal filters.
Zoe Gonzalez Izquierdo struggles to get her insurance company to pay for adequate cleanup of her family’s Altadena home, which tested positive for dangerous levels of lead and other toxic compounds.
“They can’t just send a company that’s not certified to wipe things down so we can go back to a still contaminated home,” said Gonzalez, who has children ages 2 and 4.
Experts believe the lead, which can linger in dust on floors and windowsills, comes from burned lead paint. The University of Southern California reported that more than 70% of homes affected by the Eaton Fire were built before 1979, when lead paint was common.
“For pregnant individuals and young children, it’s particularly important that we do everything we can to eliminate exposure to lead,” said pediatrician Dr. Lisa Patel, executive director for the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health and a member of the climate group Science Moms.
The same goes for asbestos, she added, as there is no safe level of exposure.
‘We Have to Live in The Scar’
Residents of the Pacific Palisades, which also faced destruction, encounter similar challenges. They are at the mercy of their insurance companies, who dictate coverage and compensation. This has become a grueling, constant battle for many. The state’s insurer of last resort, known as the California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan, has faced scrutiny for its handling of fire damage claims.
Homeowners are advocating for state agencies to enforce a requirement that insurance companies restore properties to their pre-fire condition.
Julie Lawson won’t take any risks. Her family paid about $7,000 out of pocket to test the soil in their Altadena home, even though their insurance company had agreed to cover the replacement of the grass in their front yard. They plan to test for contaminants again after remediating the inside. If insurance won’t cover it, they’ll pay for it themselves.
Even if their home becomes livable again, they still face other losses, including equity and the community they once had.
“We have to live in the scar,” she said. “We’re all still really struggling.”
They will be living in a construction zone for years. “This isn’t over for us.”
Challenges And Mental Health Toll
Annie Barbour with the nonprofit United Policyholders has been assisting people in navigating these challenges, which include insurance companies resisting payment for contamination testing and industrial hygienists disagreeing on what to test for.
She observes the mental health toll it’s taking on residents — and as a survivor of the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Northern California, she understands their plight.
Initially, many were joyful to see their houses still standing.
“But they’ve been in their own special kind of hell ever since,” Barbour said.
Now, residents like the Malones are meticulously inspecting their belongings, fearing they may have absorbed toxins.
Boxes, bags, and bins filled with clothes, chinaware, and everything in between clutter the couple’s car, basement, garage, and home.
They have been painstakingly assessing what they believe can be adequately cleaned. In the process, Nina is cleaning cabinets, drawers, and floors, still finding soot and ash. She wears gloves and a respirator, or sometimes just an N-95 mask.
Their insurance won’t cover retesting their home, Billy said, so they’re considering paying the $10,000 themselves. If results show contamination persists, their insurance company has stated they will only cover the cleanup of federally regulated toxins like lead and asbestos.
“I don’t know how you fight that,” said Nina, who is contemplating therapy to cope with her anxiety. “How do you compel an insurance company to pay for something to make yourself safe?”
AP staff writer Alex Veiga contributed to this report.
The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
