Altadena Fire Jan 7, 2025 @FirePhotoGirl X/Twitter
Suzanne Potter, producer/reporter, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.
After thousands of homes and businesses burned in the Los Angeles fires, public health doctors are warning about the toxic pollution from plastics used in construction. Many building materials are made from plastics, including flooring and carpeting, floor sealants, siding, insulation, paints, and plumbing.
Kaya Allan-Sugerman, director of health and environment programs with the group Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles, said the toxic chemicals found in urban wildfire smoke has been linked to respiratory and developmental conditions, hormone disruption, and even cancer.
“Plastics don’t just burn,” she said. “They release some of the most toxic chemicals. When released, these pollutants don’t just disappear. They can travel distances in the ash and they settle in the air, water and soil, contaminating entire communities.”
Experts recommend using an air purifier or HVAC system with a HEPA filter inside and wearing an N-95 mask outside if you’re downwind of the fire zones. If you help clean up toxic ash, use gloves and avoid dry sweeping, which stirs ash into the air. She suggested using wet methods or a HEPA vacuum instead.
Allan-Sugerman said when rebuilding, people should choose safer, non-plastic materials wherever possible in order to promote public health, fire safety and environmental quality.
“We need stronger regulations on toxic building materials and investment in sustainable fire-resistant construction because the more we use plastics in our buildings, the more we set ourselves up for long-term harm, especially as wildfires become more frequent and intense, given climate change,” she explained.
She added that websites such as Habitablefuture.org can help homeowners find alternatives to plastic in building materials.
Update on wildfires 2025
The year is still young, however the Southland has suffered severe blows from two major wildfires. According to Cal Fire, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Palisades and Eaton erupted on January 7 and scorched over 38,000 acres. Both fires are contained. Nevertheless, the devastation will take much longer to erase. Nine hundred seventy-three structures were damaged in the Palisades fire, 6,835 were destroyed, 12 people died, and four others were injured. The Eaton wildfire ravaged the community of Altadena, leaving 9,413 structures destroyed, 1,074 damaged, 17 fatalities, and 9 injuries. Debris removal is now underway in both fire areas.
