Part 154: Displacement Disaster Politics – Individual Freedom vs. Collective Leadership
Published February 1, 2025.
Photo of the Eaton Fire burning above Altadena on January 9 with a McDonalds restaurant in foreground by author. The fire is 100% contained (GoPro Hero 11 Black).
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By Zachary Ellison, Independent Journalist
I’ve been displaced. Now admittedly, if I did not care and wanted to display ruggedness, I could have disregarded the mandatory evacuation order in Altadena. Some did this, and I couldn’t blame them; they had property to protect. These days I own very little, so outside of a vehicle and personal possessions, the decision to leave wasn’t so painful. For many others, this hasn’t been such an option, and even as monetary funds have been raised in the name of the people of Altadena, just how much actually ends up in their pockets remains to be seen. Call me a cynic, but already I wonder how much of this will end up with Altadenans and how much will go to provide services. The debris removal following the January 7 devastating Eaton Fire has already begun, and already others do not want this in their backyard. I can’t blame them, but I do find myself wondering whether the urgency to reopen even schools absent soil testing makes much sense. Altadena wasn’t ready for the Eaton Fire, but what happens next? Is it safe?
This is what people want to know. Meaningful answers have been in short supply on health safety in rapidly repopulating burned and near-burned areas, as has occurred in less than a month’s time since disaster struck. The Los Angeles Times reporting team of Daniel Miller and Howard Blume covering both the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire on this question wrote in summarizing the predicament: “Some experts said that these guidelines underestimate the risk from smoke and ash, and that the toxicity and scale of L.A.’s recent fires demand a higher standard of care.” They added matter of factly, “The blazes incinerated plastics, metals, electronic components and building materials — including older, no-longer-permitted ones, such as asbestos, which is carcinogenic.” Apparently neither the Pasadena Unified School District nor the Los Angeles School District didn’t want to do basic soil testing before reopening.
Instead, inspection, as reported in the Times and LAist, among other publications, has consisted mostly of surface testing and removal of the “top layer of sand from playgrounds” along with cleaning. Undoubtedly, kids need school, but as many are wondering, couldn’t more time and prudence have been exercised in making sure that remediation was full and complete? After all, these are hardly even the only toxic areas in Los Angeles County, but they are also some of the freshest. In other areas closer to industrial pollution, the contamination has occurred over a longer period of time, and almost everyone in Los Angeles was exposed to some degree. Just last October, former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan visited Watts with Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Tim McOsker to highlight unsafe drinking water from heavy metal pollutants.
According to the Times report by Rebecca Plevin, Regan declared, “No family should have to worry that the water coming out of their tap may be unsafe to drink,” noting with Plevin writing that remediation would occur “Once there are more complete results.” In this case, the first rainfall to come to Los Angeles in eight months likely didn’t even fully put the fire out, much less suppress the movement of ash. Children need schools, and they need to be open, but what other solutions were there here to improve communication about science and policy? Pasadena also “irrigated the school fields” with its formal statement noting that these actions were taken after recommendations “out of an abundance of caution” but not soil testing. The Station Fire of 2009 came close to Pasadena and Altadena and didn’t burn the urban landscape, even if it burned many more square miles of forest. The EPA has barely begun the removal of toxic debris from the areas on a compressed timeline after orders from President Donald Trump.
So often people think that determination is the same thing as diligence; it’s not, and in this context, you’ve really got to wonder whether our failure to take the extra step back just to be sure couldn’t be life-altering. Pasadena’s contractor was the firm Envirocheck, led by President and CEO John Meador. Some homeowners have taken the steps to secure an equal amount of professional evaluation at the minimum, but others have rushed right back into questionable circumstances at best. Safety is a culture, and we all have our role, but it’s an open assignment.
One whistleblower has emerged: Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Captain Branden Silverman, assigned to the Palisades Fire, spoke unofficially in favor of extra caution in a 5-minute and 20-second video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, stating, “Unfortunately, despite everything I’ve learned over the past few days, there is a sense of urgency from elected officials and pressure from some community members to override the recommendations of public officials and hazardous materials experts.” Silverman added, “I do not recommend that you return to these burn areas; it’s just not safe,” adding that it would be “some time before all of these hazards can be identified and mitigated.” Silverman put the timeline at months.
Instead, in a matter of weeks, governments have moved ahead full throttle, abandoning complete caution to ensure that public health is prioritized over access to private property. Captain Silverman cautioned that the personal protective equipment kits being handed out “will not protect you from all of the hazards associated with the burn areas” and are “definitely not intended to protect you while sifting through rubble or burned structures.” Silverman noted that signs and flyers have been posted warning that you’re entering at your own risk and cautioning people to “limit their exposure.” Stating he had seen people entering with basic household cleaning supplies, Captain Silverman warned that “unless proper protective equipment and techniques are used, you’re putting yourself at risk by attempting to clean the property yourself.” Captain Silverman, in heartfelt delivery, added, “This is not the typical aftermath of a large brush fire; this incident was more like an enormous structure and auto fire combined, and the amount of toxic substances that were released over such a vast area is unprecedented.”
Captain Silverman noted that substances remained in both the rubble and ground and could become airborne and absorbed into the body from both wind and sifting. He posted the EPA’s warning regarding lithium batteries, which cautions those who encounter this increasingly problematic substance to “move upwind 330 ft (the distance of a football field) and call 911.” His message received no media coverage. Silverman has served in the LAFD since 2001. Lithium is highly flammable and prominently found in the batteries of electric vehicles and other electronic items. While such products are responsive to climate change in checking emissions, they have led to numerous car fires that burn extremely hot, which limits rescue. Just this week, Torrance Police were unable to rescue the driver of a 2025 Tesla Model Y because of this factor, which also releases dangerous gases and can lead to electrostatic shock. Meanwhile, up north in Monterey County, a battery storage facility caught fire, releasing a massive amount of heavy metals that was soon detected in a nearby marsh. The facility was owned by a Texas firm.
Southern California is seeing its own lithium boom. With multiple mining and associated geothermal electricity facilities planned for the Salton Sea just south of an increasingly populated Coachella Valley. The planned development area has been dubbed “Lithium Valley.” An Imperial County judge on January 9 rejected a lawsuit from civic and environmental groups for the Hell’s Kitchen project, which promises a lithium motherlode that is “expected to open a floodgate for U.S. lithium production,” as noted in a January 29 CalMatters report by Deborah Brendan. Some estimates have projected that the area can produce 375 million electric car batteries, including for export, with the mineral being viewed as essential to U.S. national security. So the risk won’t end along the receding man-made body of water, which is itself polluted by agricultural runoff, but will instead be exported along the highways and ultimately into the neighborhoods of California and will in turn be burned in wildfires as just occurred.
As of yet, there is no comprehensive planning for how to safely transport and store this product, nor have first responders been extensively trained in how to deal with it. I was running late for an interview. I still drive an internal combustion engine, and as I made my way down Interstate 10 towards Indio, the Salton Sea not so far south, through the ubiquitous trucks that move goods from the increasingly sizable warehouses of the Inland Empire to the shelves of America’s stores, I had to wonder where this was heading environmentally in the long run.
The week before I had sat in a Starbucks in Canyon Lake watching the Altadena Town Council meet for the first time post-Eaton Fire on Zoom broadcast to YouTube. The meeting was led by Victoria Knapp, Chairwoman of the Altadena Town Council Executive Committee, who began by assuring viewers that “we are all in this together,” declaring that “we are all Altadenans; diversity is our strength. Supervisor Kathryn Barger joined while driving and recounted her conversation with Governor Gavin Newsom, including discussions of whether subsidy would be available for homeowners who are required to build for fire resistance and whether enough concrete and steel would be available to begin reconstruction and concern over the rising costs of building materials in general. Barger was working to expedite a low-cost loan program like that available through the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. The meeting ended with Knapp telling residents about the decision to end restrictions on access, “Do not put yourself in harm's way.”
The look on her face was trusting. We all want to believe in individual freedom as the highest of American ideals, but is it smart governance? The first rainstorm to pass through Altadena didn’t do much additional damage, but undoubtedly it diluted pollutants. Beaches were closed indefinitely from Santa Monica to Malibu due to debris runoff, with closures after rain events being typical. It wasn’t immediately clear if additional testing was being done, much less for the drainage area from the Arroyo Seco to the Los Angeles River and ultimately down to the Long Beach area. For generations, California has struggled with environmental disasters and pollution. These fires are just the latest events, and to the extent that they pose novel challenges, it will be up to the scientists and experts to play catch up in an era increasingly critical of the value of their work. Our ability to adapt much less overcome will frame longevity.
Pasadena Now noted the following in their report on the meeting: “Officials estimate recovery could take multiple years and pointed to Paradise, California, as an example of successful rebuilding — now 85% rebuilt six years after losing 95% of their town.” Dr. Muntu Davis from the Los Angeles County of Public Health cautioned people to change filters and take precautions. Far away from Altadena, I had fallen sick, a rarity for me with a vicious head cold. I couldn’t be sure where I picked it up. A quick trip to Pep Boys to get the cabin and engine air filters changed on my car revealed a darker ash patch on the former and oak leaves in the latter. Even far away from the fire zone, the health effects of the disaster are still unfolding. The water system in Paradise was contaminated by benzene, which is a common contaminant and escalates when structures are destroyed by wildfires. Two days ago, the State of New York warned that two studies have confirmed that firefighters are experiencing higher rates of cancer, including deaths, banning the use of certain plastics in firefighting gear, and recommending stricter procedures for de-contamination. It’s hard to be perfect, especially in a disaster zone.
We all value the bravery of our first responders, but do we value the intellect of our experts and policymakers as much? Clearly, we have to reboot life for those affected by wildfires striking urban areas, but do we have to restart immediately in the zone, out of pride? Already, the EPA’s plan for removing toxic debris to Irwindale for sorting and removal is being criticized by neighbors. They don’t want it in their backyards, but is it a point of pride for Altadenans to immediately return to their backyards? Getting a hotel or motel voucher has become increasingly hard, not the least because the system for housing unhoused people was already completely broken. A quick call to the Los Angeles Homelessness Services Authority (LAHSA) confirmed only that the agency is already out of winter shelter vouchers. Getting through 211 so far hasn’t worked either. Meanwhile, Rick Caruso has continued his stealth political campaign.
Railing against Mayor Karen Bass, Rick Caruso, who owns an entire hotel in Montecito, hasn’t offered up any rooms free of charge. Instead, the Rosewood Miramar Beach is offering 25% off and a $250 dining credit through April 6. Strangely, the luxury resorts posting notes that “Accommodations cater to families and pets (Cats are allowed on a case-by-case basis).” Meanwhile, the billionaire former mayoral candidate has raised $20 million for the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and recently took some to the benefit concern. Today on X, he wrote the following regarding the withdrawal of the National Guard: “Pulling the National Guard this soon is insane. Why did Mayor Bass order the Guard to be removed? The area is still full of hazards. The lucky few who still have homes are left unprotected. LAPD doesn’t have the resources. This is reckless.” Most people in Los Angeles would laugh at the idea that the Los Angeles Police Department doesn’t have enough resources, much less private firefighters.
The extension of politics in the wake of natural disasters is un-surprising. Moreover, I remain deeply concerned that so much of the money raised on behalf of victims of the wildfires won’t actually be going to them in the end, much less directly. Watching the Altadena Town Council, a Starbucks worker took pity on me and offered me a slice of free banana bread. It was nearly 9:00 pm. On his visit, President Donald Trump visited Pacific Palisades but not Altadena and left, making threats on his way out against further federal aid. No wonder Rick Caruso couldn’t stomach Donald Trump in the end, defecting to Joe Biden even as he softly mimics his politics. For what it’s worth, Kathryn Barger, who is from San Marino, seemed to think Trump would care about the common man! I finished my banana bread and went on being displaced another night.
Link: Schools opening near fire zones are safe, district officials say. Parents aren’t so sure
Link: How Pasadena students, and grown-ups, are making sense of school reopenings
Link: During visit to South L.A., EPA head vows to address environmental injustices in Watts
Link: Envirocheck
Link: Captain Branden Silverman Twitter Post RE: Health Risks
Link: Police say burning Tesla battery prevented them from saving driver in fatal crash
Link: Massive Salton Sea lithium project gets judge’s go-ahead, ending advocates’ lawsuit
Link: Altadena Town Council Chair at Meeting: “The Magnitude of This Devastation is Beyond Comprehension”
Link: Cancer-causing chemical taints water after deadly Paradise wildfire
Link: ‘We don’t want it!’ San Gabriel Valley rages against shipment of Eaton fire hazardous waste
Link: Special Santa Barbara Lodging Rates for Wildfire Evacuees
Link: Rick Caruso RE: National Guard Deployment
Link: Trump says he may withhold federal aid for Los Angeles if California doesn’t change water policies
Please support my work with your subscription, or for direct support, use Venmo, CashApp, PayPal, or Zelle using zachary.b.ellison@gmail.com
Zachary Ellison is an Independent Journalist and Whistleblower in the Los Angeles area. Zach was most recently employed by the University of Southern California, Office of the Provost, from October 2015 to August 2022 as an Executive Secretary and Administrative Assistant, supporting the Vice Provost for Academic Operations and the Vice Provost and Senior Advisor to the Provost, among others. Zach holds a Master’s in Public Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Policy and Planning from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. While a student at USC, he worked for the USC Good Neighbors Campaign, including on their university-wide newsletter. Zach completed his B.A. in History at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and was a writer, editor, and photographer for the Pasadena High School Chronicle. He was Barack Obama’s one-millionth online campaign contributor in 2008. Zach is a former AmeriCorps intern for Hawaii State Parks and worked for the City of Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation. He is a trained civil process server and enjoys weekends in the outdoors. Zach is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club.
Brilliant analysis but bringing up Trump tainted the purpose of the article. TRUMP was in two disasters in one day. Traffic to accommodate his travels throughout Los Angeles creates major traffic stoppages and detours. He has seen pictures he understands the moronic designs of our DEI Mayor and imbecile Newdom