Asbestos testing with certified asbestos consultants and other experts has been ongoing since two wildfires, Eaton and Palisades, blazed across California in 2025. More properties that were burned in the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California have tested positive for asbestos, according to Senator Adam Schiff. The U.S Army Corps of Engineers reports that 50 percent of the properties in the Eaton fire have tested positive for asbestos. Around 33 percent of the properties that burned in the Palisades fire tested positive for asbestos. As of March 8, 2025, the US Army Corps of Engineers says that 2,269 properties have been cleared completely of hazardous material. Crews have been carrying out asbestos abatement by hand before larger scale debris removal could begin. If asbestos is found nearby, this could change the timeline for the cleanup. There are more homes in the burn scar in Eaton that contain asbestos compared to Palisades. This affects the cleanup times. In total, more than 29 people were killed, more than 16,000 structures were destroyed, and more than 37,000 acres were burned. The latest test results brought up concerns about the impact of asbestos on the cleanup timeline, but it was announced by the Governor’s office that the Los Angeles Wildfire cleanup could be the fastest in American history.
In February 2025, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health warned residents, claiming all homes within 250 miles of the wildfire burn sites are at risk of exposure to asbestos, hazardous chemicals, and heavy metals like lead. In January 2025, Altadena deputies were warned about the need to wear N95 masks to avoid inhaling airborne toxins like asbestos and lead. According to the newly released fire hazard maps, almost 4 million Californians in Los Angeles are in hazardous zones. The maps that were created were done with field tested models, assigning a hazard score based on the likelihood of fire and the fire behavior. Other factors include blowing embers, existing and potential natural vegetation to fuel fires, predicted flame length, terrain, typical fire weather, and wildfire history. Newly built homes in hazardous areas are required to meet heightened fire-resistant building standards. Subdivisions are also required to include adequate water supplies, built in fuel breaks, and several evacuation routes. Legacy asbestos is in an estimated 73 percent of structures in Southern California according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Asbestos was commonly used in homes, schools, businesses and industrial buildings before being phased out in the 1980s. Fires that burn these older structures can quickly spread the carcinogenic fibers into the air miles from the source. California lawmakers are now making a push to keep a closer eye on environmental toxins to avoid public health threats like asbestos exposure.
Lawmakers in California are asking the federal government to create a joint task force to monitor harmful pollutants released into the environment by the wildfires. Routine smog and air quality monitoring systems do not check for harmful pollutants including asbestos, lead, chlorine, ash, and other metals. Members of Congress drafted and sent a letter to the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, urging for a task force to be created. The group, if created, would track all potential hazardous air, water, and solid pollutants, reporting its findings to the public regularly. The Air Quality Index is showing air quality levels to be good or moderate despite the threat of asbestos and lead in the air because AQI does not measure all potential airborne wildfire related pollutants. Residents are understandably confused about how safe the air is to breathe, leading to them not taking the proper precautions to protect themselves when going outside. The lack of information could increase the chance of long-term health effects, especially in vulnerable populations like the elderly, pregnant women, and children, regardless of whether people are in areas directly impacted by the wildfires.
