After the Palisades and Eaton fires, USC research offers new answers for communities as they rebuild

More than 3,000 Los Angeles households submitted soil samples for USC’s Contaminant Level Evaluation and Analysis for Neighborhoods project to test for lead and other contaminants. (Photo/Ethan Swope, The Associated Press)

After the Palisades and Eaton fires, USC research offers new answers for communities as they rebuild

USC researchers and USC Dornsife’s Public Exchange provide one of the most comprehensive pictures yet of how the fires affected environmental contamination.

ByTrenise Ferreira August 4, 2026

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More than a year after the Palisades and Eaton fires, many residents are still asking: Is my yard contaminated? What about the beach? And what should I do if there is contamination?

Public Exchange at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and a team of USC Dornsife Earth Sciences faculty have been investigating these questions since the fires were put out — and are providing answers.

The post appeared first on USC Dornsife.