Clearing the Air: The Fight for Uniform Post-Fire Safety Standards

After the 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires, cleaning up the mess left behind has been a mess in itself. Different experts have been giving different advice. First, the federal government suddenly stopped following California's old rules for testing soil after fires. Then, California thought about doing the same. Meanwhile, insurance companies have been ignoring scientists' advice on how to clean up homes that are still standing. A new bill, AB 1642, introduced by state Assemblymember John Harabedian, wants to change this. It aims to create statewide standards for testing and cleaning up contamination from wildfires. These standards would apply to homes, workplaces, schools, and the soil around them. The bill would give the state's Department of Toxic Substances Control until July 1, 2027, to create these standards. Nicole Maccalla, who leads data science efforts with Eaton Fire Residents United, supports this idea. She says that even if the standards are just guidance, they would be helpful for families trying to return home safely. Right now, insurance companies are making the decisions, and they don't always prioritize human health. Harabedian agrees. He says that public health experts and scientists should dictate the standards, not bureaucrats or insurance companies. For many residents, clear guidance on how to restore their homes to safe conditions would be a welcome relief.Insurance companies, environmental health academics, and professionals focused on addressing indoor environmental hazards have all disagreed on the necessary steps to restore homes. This has created confusion for survivors. Insurance companies and survivors have routinely fought over who is responsible for the costs of contamination testing. Residents have also said their insurers have pushed back on paying for the replacement of assets like mattresses that can absorb contamination, and any restoration work beyond a deep clean, such as replacing contaminated wall insulation. Scientists and remediation professionals have clashed over which contaminants homeowners ought to test for after a fire. Just last week, researchers hotly debated the thoroughness of the contamination testing at Palisades Charter High School’s campus. The school district decided it was safe for students to return; in-person classes began Tuesday. Harabedian hopes the new guidelines could solidify the state’s long-standing policy to conduct comprehensive, post-fire soil testing. Not long after the federal government refused to adhere to the state’s soil testing policy, Nancy Ward, the former director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, had privately contemplated ending state funding for post-fire soil testing as well, according to an internal memo. Harabedian said that this debate should have never happened. If there were statewide standards, there would be no debate.