Wildfire debris washes up on LA beaches after major rainstorm
Los Angeles county beaches are contending with the aftermath of recent wildfires and winter storms as debris from the Palisades fire and urban runoff are carried to the shoreline.
After last week's major rainstorm, beaches in southern California have been littered with timber, twisted metals, construction materials and charred silt and sediment originating from the Palisades fire, which started on 7 January and killed at least 29 people.
The Los Angeles county department of beaches and harbors said last week that officials were monitoring beach conditions and ocean water quality. Maintenance crews were working to remove large pieces of debris from the shore, and the department advised beachgoers to avoid visible fire debris and stay out of the ocean water where advisories were posted.
The department of public health lifted the ocean water quality rain advisory last week for all Los Angeles county beaches except those affected by fire. Beaches from Las Flores beach to Santa Monica state beach were still under advisory warnings.
Just days after the fires began, winds carried ash and charred debris up to 100 miles (161km) offshore. Since then, wind and waves have spread the charred material along the county's coastline.
'The fires burn also through vegetations that normally will help stabilize soil,' said Tania Pineda-Enriquez, water-quality data and policy specialist at Heal the Bay, an environmental advocacy group. 'Without this natural barrier, all the ash and soil will be washed out into the waterways.'
Beachgoers can still hang around the sand areas but should avoid water contact, especially near storm drains, creeks and rivers, since ocean water-quality testing results are still pending, according to the department of public health.
Initial sediment testing at Will Rogers state beach and Topanga Beach shows that the charred silt and sediment are not hazardous to people or the environment, the department of beaches and harbors said.
More testing is being conducted this week. The dark sediment, made up of fine ash mixed with sand, will not be removed to prevent further shoreline erosion and habitat destruction.
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'Natural tides and weather will gradually break down and wash away the sediment, allowing the ecosystem to recover naturally,' reads a statement from the department of beaches and harbors.
The concern about debris comes as Angelenos protest the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to set up a hazardous waste sorting site in lower Topanga near the ocean. The site is meant to process materials like paint, solvents and lithium-ion batteries from wildfire-ravaged homes, but hundreds of protesters thus far have raised concerns over the risks to water quality, wildlife and Indigenous heritage.
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NBC News
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- NBC News
Smoke from Canadian wildfires triggers air quality alerts in Midwest and Plains
Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to blanket parts of the Midwest and Great Plains, leading to air quality alerts across several states. More than 90 fires scattered across Canada are burning out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, a nonprofit that supports the government's wildfire response. Active fires in the central Canadian province of Manitoba have forced roughly 17,000 people to evacuate. Winds high in the atmosphere pushed that smoke into the Upper Midwest on Friday, and the plumes continued to travel southeast over the weekend, reaching as far as the Georgia-Florida border. Some U.S. states may experience poor air quality through Monday, meaning sensitive groups such as pregnant people, newborns, older adults or those with respiratory or heart problems should limit their time outdoors. People in the affected areas may notice a campfire smell and hazy skies, as well as colorful sunrises and sunsets, according to the the National Weather Service. Minnesota has issued an air quality alert for the entire state until Monday evening. The state's northern counties are expected to see air quality that is considered unhealthy based on the Environmental Protection Agency's Air Quality Index (AQI), which measures daily air pollution. Under these conditions, even people who aren't part of a sensitive group may experience health effects like itchy eyes, runny noses, coughing or shortness of breath. Wisconsin issued an air quality advisory on Friday that expired the next day, but the state's Department of Natural Resources said another advisory could be warranted by Sunday afternoon. Northwestern counties will likely see heavy smoke on Sunday evening, the department said, and it could migrate across the state on Monday. Many parts of Wisconsin could experience air quality that's unhealthy for sensitive groups, with a pocket of even poorer air quality in the northwest. In parts of North Dakota, the air quality currently meets the AQI's 'very unhealthy' threshold, meaning all those exposed have an increased risk of health effects. State officials have urged residents, particularly those with respiratory conditions, to consider limiting their outdoor activities if it's smoky where they live. Other ways to reduce exposure include closing windows, running indoor air filters and wearing an N95 mask outside. South Dakota also issued an air quality alert for certain areas that lasts through Sunday or until conditions improve. Wildfire smoke can travel hundreds or thousands of miles, posing health risks to people far away from an active blaze. In 2023, smoke from Canadian wildfires turned skies orange in the Northeastern U.S. and led to unhealthy air quality levels in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. A study last year found that people who inhaled the smoke in New York and New Jersey were likely exposed to extremely large concentrations of fine particulate matter — tiny particles in the air that can penetrate deep into the lungs. Short-term exposure to these particles can increase the risk of cardiac arrest, asthma attacks or stroke, while long-term exposure can increase the risk of heart disease, lung cancer and chronic kidney disease. Wildfires are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, along with other extreme weather events like hurricanes and heat waves. As smoke from Canada billowed into the Midwest over the weekend, severe storms swept through the South and East Coast and millions of people in the West were under heat alerts, with temperatures climbing past 100 degrees.
The Guardian
05-05-2025
- The Guardian
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Time Out
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The air quality in Chicago has just been ranked as one of the worst in the U.S.
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