
MALIBU, CA – As the cleanup crews overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expunge contaminants and pollution left in the wake of the Los Angeles County wildfires continues, criticism from some circles continues over what some say are insufficient planning and sub-par efforts that are not only leaving toxins in the ground, but are actually serving to spread pollution in some instances.
The disaster, which raged for nearly a month in early January 2025, was comprised of two separate fires – one in Eaton Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains (the “Eaton Fire”), the other in Santa Monica Mountains of Los Angeles County (the “Palisades Fire”) – that, together, were responsible for a combined 29 deaths and the destruction of nearly 16,000 structures.
There have been numerous hazardous substances left behind due to the fire’s destructive fury, such as arsenic, pesticides, copper from melted wiring, lead, cadmium, benzo[a]pyrene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), just to name a few.
The newest environmental worry related to the wildfires concerns disturbing amounts of a toxic metal called beryllium – classified as a human carcinogen – that is being detected not only in some of the cleanup areas, but also areas that are unaffected by the fires, and it’s widespread presence is proving to be especially worrying to health and environmental professionals.
Beryllium is an earth metal known for being both very light and very rigid at the same time, and is used in a multitude of commercial items, ranging from automobiles to electronics and more, and in these products, it is considered very safe.
However, when objects containing the metal are heated – as they were in large numbers during the wildfires – beryllium is released in the form of microscopic particles that can easily find their way into the lungs of living creatures. Experts note that even the tiniest concentrations of the substance can lead to the development of cancer and lifelong – and potentially fatal – respiratory diseases.
Beryllium has been discovered in dozens of homes within both the Eaton and Palisades fire zones, and high levels are being detected in Los Angeles’ air by air quality monitors, which – according to Jane Williams, executive director of California Communities Against Toxics – is a cause for alarm.
To see beryllium in the ambient air, above background levels, that’s like a five-alarm fire,” she said.
A dozen experts have not been able to conclude why beryllium is showing up at such elevated levels following the wildfires, and to make matters worse, the majority of homes that did not burn down have not been tested for it by either the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or insurance companies; instead, the residents of these homes are being forced to do so themselves, at their own expense.
When asked by the media, multiple state and federal agencies – including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Public Health, the U.S. Geological Survey – said that they were unaware of the potential for beryllium contamination in the wildfire zones, nor do they know where it’s coming from.
Out of 184 tests conducted by LA-area homeowners, all tested positive for contaminants such as lead, asbestos and cyanide; 52 tested positive for beryllium as well, some of which exceeding federal workplace safety standards.
Not all experts agree on beryllium cleanup protocols, but the consensus is that the task requires protective gear, specialized equipment and thorough retesting.
Again, the ongoing cleanup efforts from the LA wildfires underscores the need for licensed, experienced, and professional companies to handle the removal of containments and to return the affected area back to a healthy sense of normalcy; the issues currently being experienced proves what can happen if this is not the case.