More fire-torn Altadena homes test positive for asbestos than Palisades — affecting cleanup times, Sen. Schiff says

More Altadena properties burned in the Eaton Fire have tested positive for asbestos — the mineral fiber linked to lung cancer and diseases like mesothelioma — than those being cleared in the Palisades Fire, Sen. Adam Schiff said Wednesday.

Schiff was visiting the site of the Eaton Fire, where crews wearing protective gear have been clearing out harmful contaminants like asbestos, when he told reporters the timeline of those cleanup efforts could be affected by the higher presence of asbestos found in the Eaton Fire site than in the Palisades. 

Between the two wildfires, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has reported 2,269 properties have been completely cleared of hazardous material as of March 8. State fire officials say more than 16,000 structures, including everything from sheds and garages to larger buildings such as homes, were completely destroyed in the two deadly January wildfires. 

"There are a higher number of homes here in the Eaton Fire burn scar than in the Palisades, apparently, that have asbestos," Schiff said as he spoke to reporters in Altadena Thursday. "So that affects the cleanup times."

While less than a third of properties burned in the Palisades Fire —  or about 31% — have tested positive for asbestos, roughly 50% of properties in the Eaton Fire have tested positive, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 

For more than 30 years, several laws pushed forth by federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency have been passed to restrict the use of asbestos after it was long used in construction. Now, it's more commonly found in older structures built before such laws.

Although more testing is being carried out for asbestos and other hazardous materials, warnings about exposure to the potentially cancerous substance have been issued for areas near the sites of the Palisades and Eaton fires.

Last month, the LA County Department of Public Health issued a warning saying homes within 250 yards of the two wildfires' burn sites were at risk of exposure to asbestos, hazardous chemicals and heavy metals such as lead. 

UCLA researchers have also warned about the presence of airborne asbestos, lead and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, a class of chemicals which federal health officials say have been linked to the development of blood and liver abnormalities. The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization also issued its own warning to the public just days after the two devastating wildfires broke out on Jan. 7.

Army Corps Colonel Sonny Avichal, who is the emergency field office commander for the Eaton Fire, said certified asbestos consultants and other specialists have been performing testing during cleanup efforts over the last several weeks. 

Crews have been carrying out asbestos abatement by hand before larger scale debris removal efforts get underway, he said. 

In the immediate aftermath of the January fires, health officials and experts warned about the presence of materials such as asbestos. With state fire officials estimating that 73% of structures in the affected areas were built before 1980, experts told The Mesothelioma Center that air quality near the wildfire sites could be affected.

"Asbestos will be in these burned down older buildings and thus it's best to wear a mask if you're near the smoke to prevent excessive inhalation of any asbestos fibers," Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center thoracic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Velotta told The Mesothelioma Center's news site. 

"Wear masks if you're in the area. If it's a bad smoky area, then try to avoid being outside during that time," Velotta said. 

Of 6,000 homes eligible for free debris removal by the Army Corps, there are still 1,200 properties in the Eaton Fire site that have not opted into the program, Rep. Judy Chu said as she spoke to reporters alongside Schiff Thursday. 

With a deadline less than two weeks away, she urged homeowners and others who could be eligible to sign up.

The deadline for opting into the free debris removal process is March 31 and more information on how to sign up can be found here.