A mother in Altadena started her son on chelation therapy to remove lead from his blood. A geochemist won’t enter his home without a respirator and a full-body suit. And a cinematographer spent thousands to get his lot tested for heavy metals and remediated — work the government cleanup program did not do.
Sixteen months after the Eaton Fire, these are the extreme measures Altadena residents are taking to deal with a host of dangerous compounds, including arsenic and asbestos, plaguing their families and properties — and a major reason why so many residents are still not back in their neighborhood, regardless of whether their homes burned.
Uncertainty over when it is safe to return or rebuild has propelled a patchwork of groups to conduct their own research into the contamination. Together, their experiences make clear that the systems designed to respond to a fire disaster were not built for one like this. |
