Soil is biggest worry for Eaton fire survivors, survey says

[Contamination, from B1]

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Eaton and Palisades fire survivors said the lasting damage to their soil, air and water caused anxiety, stress, or depression.

On average, survivors in the Eaton burn area - which has more significant environmental contamination - worried more than those in the Palisades.

An independent survey conducted for the L.A. fire recovery nonprofit Department of Angels in June found that the environment - including debris removal and contamination - was the most pressing issue for people who moved back home and those still displaced, more than construction costs, insurance reimbursements or a lack of strong government leadership.

Soil was the biggest worry for Eaton-area respondents in the Community Action Project survey. The team had just started collecting responses in April when the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced the first comprehensive soil testing results for the burn scars.

About a third of samples taken within the fire perimeter and nearly half downwind had lead levels above the state's stringent health standards, designed to protect the most vulnerable kids playing in the dirt. Scientists attribute this lead to the Eaton fire, and not other urban contamination because samples taken in a nearby area unaffected by the fire had far lower lead levels.