First Post-Wildfire Summer, Popular LA County Beaches May Pose Health Risks, Experts Warn

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — With an iconic coastline highway reopening last month between Malibu and Santa Monica for the first time since the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, a marine expert says people should consider avoiding nearby beaches for the foreseeable future.

An 11-mile stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway reopened in late May, marking an "important step forward in our recovery effort in the Palisades," Mayor Karen Bass said last month.

But as cities continue to heal, there are still potential health risks that loom over the area, especially on its beaches, according to Manhattan Beach Roundhouse Aquarium Director Marissa Wu.

"Once a few families go, everyone's going to want to go," Wu told Patch. "I don't think the burned-down areas there may be ready for it yet."

The Palisades Fire killed several people and burned through tens of thousands of acres in the Palisades and Malibu area back in January. Thousands were evacuated and many returned to find their homes burned to the ground.

As of May, around three-fourths of the debris caused by the Palisades blaze had been cleared by clean-up crews. Heavy rains during that time, however, caused debris flows.

"Unfortunately, a lot of those homes and communities were right next to the beach," Wu said. "There wasn't much of a buffer. A lot of debris and toxins that came from those homes were washed into the ocean directly."

Beach cities such as Malibu and Santa Monica were "hit the hardest" with debris, according to Wu, who said she wouldn't go swimming in those beaches anytime soon.

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"A lot of these old homes, depending on when they were put up, they're going to have lead paint," Wu said. "There's still going to be lead in the environment for quite a while. It takes a lot of time for that to break down."

Wu said that prolonged exposure to lead, even something the size of a small sugar packet, can pose health risks for people. But other toxins, including those from fertilizers that were once in the now-singed soil, are washing into the ocean as well, many of which have an adverse effect on marine life and birds.

When toxins such as fertilizers wash into the ocean, they're taken in by plankton, which causes a rapid overgrowth. Mixed that in with some upwelling that brings cold water into the Southern California area, and you get a red tide, Wu said.

A person swimming in water where a red tide is present may get sick if they swallow water, Wu said. For sea animals, the red tide is toxic. It can cause them to get distressed, and in some cases, die.

In February, an algae bloom made hundreds of sea lions and dolphins sick, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which reported some sea lions acting aggressively towards people.

This happened earlier in the year than most previous blooms, according to the NOAA. Some researchers suggest that upwelling mixed with debris from the wildfire could have contributed to the early bloom, as previous studies have found elevated nutrients offshore after previous major wildfires, according to the NOAA.

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Meanwhile, organisms such as mussels or clams serve as natural filters in the ocean, taking in a lot of the toxins that get washed into the sea, Wu said. Any sea animal, bird and even humans who consume mussels or clams fished out of sites affected by the wildfires could be subjected to those toxins that have been washed into the sea, Wu said.

"Because it accumulates as it goes up the chain, (the next animal) inherits that toxicity that the other previously had in their bodies," Wu said. "That means we’re also vulnerable."

The best way to avoid taking in these toxins is to be cautious and do research, according to Wu.

Before taking a swim or playing in the water at beaches near the fire sites, Wu recommends checking in with local lifeguards or looking at Heal the Bay, a nonprofit organization that checks water quality, to ensure the area is safe to swim in.

Mostly, Wu recommends visiting other beaches in Los Angeles County that weren't affected by debris, such as Zuma Beach, Manhattan Beach or some of the many beaches along the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

"You don't want to go to a place that has been stressed out by a natural disaster," Wu said. "Give them space to heal."