LA County finds high lead levels in some burn areas after wildfire debris removal

ALTADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- For wildfire survivors, the scope of uncertainty is vast.

"Toxicity of the ground is just one of the many things," said Altadena resident Marvin Steinberg.

Los Angeles County released the results of their latest round of soil testing. It found that some properties in both the Eaton and Palisades areas have high levels of lead and other toxic materials. Josh West, a professor of earth sciences and environmental studies at USC cautioned against panic.

"At the same time as not being panicked, I think it is important that the messaging gets out there that this is something that people should pay attention to," said West.

West also underscored that high lead levels are not unique to burn areas. "It's exacerbated by the fires because we have properties that had leaded paint in them," he said.

The county testing shows the Eaton Fire area had a larger percentage of higher lead levels, with the estimated "lifetime cancer risk" being below five in 1 million, compared to below one in one million in the Palisades.

While the risk is not zero, local health officials say they are not overly alarmed.

"Before we actually put shovel to the ground, we're going to find out what the toxic element is on this property," said Steinberg.

Soil remediation is one course of action. Eyewitness News spoke with Alliance Environmental Group, a company beginning remediation work in the impacted areas.

California's FAIR Plan is often a last resort for people who can't get insurance for their homes. Some fire victims say the state-run plan is anything but fair.

"Essentially, it's coming out and removing a layer of soil at the depth that the testing company recommends" said Carlos Sanguinetti, vice president of sales at the company. The company encourage residents to work with their insurance or contractors to begin that process.

West, who is part of a free soil testing program at USC, explains that if a property is found to have lead above screening levels, it does not necessarily mean a massive remediation is necessary.

"It's a good flag that more thought needs to go in and maybe some more investigation," said West.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles County offers free blood lead testing and will soon offer a soil testing program for many residents in the downwind area of the Eaton Fire. It also said it will help connect eligible residents with remediation programs.