The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is reminding residents about the dangers associated with fire debris and issuing a Public Health Advisory for individuals residing within 250 yards of a burned structure or parcel within or near the Palisades and Eaton burn areas.

Residents in these areas may face an increased risk of exposure to hazardous substances from ash, soot and fire debris before the completion of Phase 1 (hazardous materials removal) and Phase 2 (fire debris removal).

Exposure to these materials may lead to physical health symptoms (American Chemical Society, EST Air, 2025, 2, 13-23) and may pose long-term health impacts.

Fire debris from burned structures can contain a variety of harmful substances, including:

Asbestos from older building materials.

Heavy metals like lead.

Hazardous chemicals from household products.

Fine particulate matter created by the fire.

Strong winds and weather fluctuations may increase both the exposure risk and the affected distance.

For more information, visit: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Wildfire/.