As the winds ease and the flames are quenched, Los Angeles area residents are returning to neighborhoods charred beyond recognition by recent wildfires.
The residents are also returning to a dangerous accumulation of toxics, according to a Northeastern University environmental health expert.
“Every possible kind of toxic you can imagine is there and in more concentrated form,” Phil Brown, university distinguished professor and the director of the Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute at Northeastern University says. “It’s much more bioavailable — which means it’s easier for people to get it into their bodies.”
At least 28 people have died across the Los Angeles area after multiple wildfires fueled by dry conditions and powerful winds erupted Jan. 7. Nearly 17,000 structures have been destroyed and tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes as a result of the blazes.
Rain this past weekend aided firefighters’ efforts, and three major wildfires in Los Angeles county were nearly 100% contained after the wet weather.
