Recap: the Coalition for Clean Air Webinar
Understanding the "event after the event"
Jules Lippe-Klein and Lila Nordstrom contributed research to this article.
Last Thursday, the Coalition for Clean Air (CCA)—a statewide organization aimed at protecting public health, improving air quality and preventing climate change—convened a webinar on public health impacts of the LA fires, and the “disaster after the disaster.”
They kicked off the session with a primary message: smoke, soot, and ash contain many toxic chemicals. As much as possible, try to avoid exposure.
Below, I break down other key points from the webinar. You can also watch the webinar below, and read a CCA summary here.
Before we dive in, a couple of important notes:
According to this webinar, LA’s fires are not just wildfires; these are “wildland urban interface fires"—which is considered more dangerous in terms of air quality, than a typical forest fire.
As CCA speaker Dr. John Lyou noted, experts can disagree. This is an unprecedented event, so we are still figuring out the impacts in real time, while also considering similar past events—like the 2023 Maui fires and 9/11. I’ve tried to aggregate a summary based on key points these experts seemed to agree on.
The experts were clear that there is no way to live a risk-free life in LA right now. However, there are ways to mitigate risk. Read on to learn more about how to do this.
Who were the panel speakers?
Dr. John Balmes, Professor of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, member of the California Air Resources Board, author of >200 papers or chapters on occupational and environmental respiratory disease-related topics;
Ed Avol, Professor Emeritus, USC School of Medicine, co-author of the USC Children's Health Study, author or co-author of >150 articles on air pollution chemistry and health effects;
Prof. Gina Solomon, Chief, Division of Occupational, Environmental & Climate Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, former Deputy Secretary for Health and Science, California Environmental Protection Agency;
Dr. Rania Sabty, Independent Contractor, Kleinerman and Associates, occupational health and safety expert;
Tim Dye and Story Schwantes, TD Environmental Services, air quality monitoring experts;
Jane Williams, Executive Director, California Communities Against Toxics, award-winning environmental health and justice expert;
Dr. Joseph Lyou, President & CEO, Coalition for Clean Air, 12-year member of the South Coast AQMD Governing Board.
What are the pollutants to be concerned about?
The panel distinguished between two types of pollutants: “criteria” air pollutants, which are measured continuously by Air Quality Index (AQI), and hazardous air pollutants, which are more difficult (and expensive) to measure. CCA uses Airnow.gov, Fire.airnow.gov, and South Coast AQMD Air Quality to check AQI, but they cautioned that air quality is not measured in every location, and doesn’t measure for hazardous air pollutants. Hazardous pollutants not tracked by AQI are going to be especially relevant to people who live closer to the sites of the fires, but experts warned us all to remain vigilant: just because toxins aren’t measured or seen, doesn’t mean they aren’t in the air.
The size of these particles also matters. Very small particles are very hard to see, and more likely to travel far distances. Small particles can also more easily evade our bodies’ defense mechanisms—making it easier for them to enter the bloodstream and reach various organs (including the brain). Larger particles will deposit faster.
What are some common health concerns?
Common health issues exacerbated by smoke include asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Wildfire smoke has also been linked to respiratory infections like pneumonia and bronchitis, and greater risk of heart attacks and strokes. In addition, the brain and other organs can be impacted if small particles enter the bloodstream. Neurological symptoms may include brain fog, difficulty concentrating, or dementia later in life.
Experts on the panel also cited pediatric health concerns, saying studies show that wildfire smoke is more toxic for kids than non-smoke related pollution. They noted that because many small children may struggle to wear masks, it’s often best to try to keep kids indoors in an air purified environment.
Mental health is also a concern; one expert mentioned that there is a 25 percent increase in suicide rates following major disasters. Finally, another expert noted that LA fires may contribute to worsened Covid-19 outcomes. With cases spiking this winter, evacuation conditions could make it hard for people to avoid spreading the virus while sick—and worsened air quality could exacerbate respiratory symptoms.
Tips for returning home and/or cleaning up
Fire and smoldering debris can remain for weeks, so be mindful about returning to burn sites. If you must return home to search for belongings or clean up, wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); any or all of the following may be recommended:
Protective clothing such as standard coveralls; at bare minimum, a long-sleeved shirt and pants.
Respirators ranging from an N95 to a powered air purifying respirator.
N95 masks are disposable, but can be worn a few times before you need to throw them out. One expert recommended no more than three days to a week in the same mask, depending on what you’re doing.
N, R, or P-100 series filters can help filter particulates like asbestos.
Surgical masks and face gators are not sufficient for avoiding Covid-19 or ash inhalation.
Facial hair can get in the way of any mask’s efficacy. A full face respirator may be better for folks with a lot of facial hair.
Protective footwear, such as a chemical resistant boot or outer boot with a steel-toe.
Disposable cut/abrasive resistant work gloves, or a chemical-resistant gloves.
Fully enclosed goggles.
Ear protection in noisy areas.
Hard hats or safety helmets.
Baby wipes for helping you avoid tracking contaminants back to your family, car, or home.
[image of personal protective equipment (PPE) examples, c. Coalition for Clean Air webinar]
If you need to clean your home, use wet methods like mopping, rather than sweeping or vacuuming. If you are vacuuming, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter and disposable collection filter bags. Avoid stagnant water, and be careful walking, because surfaces may be slippery from ash. Finally, make sure you are up to date on your tetanus shot, because it’s easy to get cut during cleanup.
If you are living in LA right now, you can make your own air purifier using box fans, but there are some important notes to keep in mind:
Make sure your filter is a MERV 13 or more, so it can filter more small particles.
How you position your air purifier matters. If you have to open a window, place the filter near the window.
Never leave a homemade air purifier alone, because it can start a fire.
Understand that these purifiers are not filtering out gases or air toxins, just particles.
How have the fires impacted water and food?
Drinking water has been impacted in areas near the fires. Even if your house did not burn down, water may not be safe to drink, since the same water system serves whole neighborhoods. There are two main types of water contamination that can occur:
Excessive sediment contamination: this type of contamination refers to microbial contamination, and can be mitigated by boiling your water before using it.
Volatile organic compound (VOC) contamination: this type of contamination happens when smoke enters the water system, causing carcinogenic chemicals to enter the supply. You should not drink, shower, or use water with VOC contamination, even if boiled. As of Tuesday, January 21, the Palisades area and was experiencing VOC contamination.
The experts on the panel said they believe the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is taking these problems seriously and giving people the information they need, so check in the LADWP interactive map and website for updates, if you are confused.
The fires will also likely impact our oceans, beaches, and food supply to some extent. Avoid eating local produce grown near any of the fire sites, since pollutants may deposit in the soil. Avoid storm drains and beaches immediately after rainfall.
What can we learn from past similar events?
Panel speakers said we are are in a race against time to stop the “disaster after the disaster”—the long term health impacts that may occur if we force a return to “normalcy” too soon. They cited past mistakes, such as the reopening of schools right next to ash zones in Lahaina, Hawaii in 2023 and lower Manhattan in 2001. The urged us to resist going back to burned properties to sift through belongings without proper PPE, and cautioned that landowners may hire workers to clear land without providing proper PPE.
An examination of 9/11 gives us a sense of some of the chemicals we might be inhaling: hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, isocyanates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), etc. These chemicals result from melted vehicles, electronics, plastic, asbestos, your neighbor’s burnt Tesla, etc. During 9/11, air quality became politicized. In 2001, Christine Todd Whitman, who led the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was pressured to say the air was safe in New York City, when it was not—and hundreds of thousands of people suffered as a result.
Experts reiterated that the damage in LA right now is unprecedented. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 burned three square miles. The square mileage of burn zone in LA is currently equivalent to the entire city of San Francisco.
In response, we have to balance competing interests for re-entry and re-population with the dangers of ash inhalation. Experts said we do not emphasize enough that breathing in invisible particles (even for short periods of time) can have major health impacts.
How far from the fire is safe?
There is no magic distance, because smoke can move in funny ways. You have to consider where you are, and whether the wind is moving toward you. Experts said that while there’s no line you can draw between safety and danger in LA right now, if you can see ash on your car or windowsill, it’s an indication to take greater precautions.
It will also be important to monitor cleanup efforts. Are dump trucks from cleanup efforts being left open near your home? Cleanup efforts have taken place in dangerous ways before, so experts urged vigilance and suggested that risk will shift as cleanup efforts commence. TLDR; consider where you are, how the cleanup is happening, and what measures you can take to protect yourself via PPE and air purifiers.
At the end of the day, all of this is about relative risk; there is no way to live with zero risk in LA right now.
How long until we are safe from hazardous exposures?
Even if all the fires were put out today, experts said the amount of ash that’s been generated is so enormous, there will be ongoing exposures for years. That being said, exposure risk will start to localize more, as particles settle. One of the experts on this panel discussed avoiding running outdoors until it rains, but resuming outdoor runs once rain has come and wind had died down—though she would continue to avoid the areas directly impacted by fires. For what its worth, avoiding burn scars is also important for allowing our mountains and forests to heal.
Even if cleanup efforts move really quickly, experts said it would probably take two years to excavate all of the ash—and this excavation process can release more ash into the air. Our daily routines may have to change, going forward. Consider checking both AQI and wind patterns before deciding whether or not to leave your house without a mask. Consider keeping a mask in your bag at all times. This may be our new normal.
When it comes to knowing when it’s safe to return to burned homes or businesses, or send kids back to school in areas where there have been fires, there are no absolute answers. There is no zero risk, but there is reduction and mitigation—which does make a difference. Wear PPE, and make sure schools close their doors and windows, and have HVAC systems employed.
Experts reiterated that if you plan to stay in LA, you need to be taking precautions to protect the air you breathe.
Key resources:
List of CARB-Certified Air Cleaning Devices
Airnow.gov After a Fire / Returning Home
UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program
Respiratory Protection During Fire Clean Up
CDPH Emergency Preparedness Office - N95 Respirator Masks - Questions Answered