Air Quality Testing Reveals Hourly Info On Impact Of LA Wildfire Cleanup

LOS ANGELES, CA — As ongoing wildfire cleanup prompts concerns about hazardous dust and ash becoming airborne, officials have launched an online dashboard that offers near-real-time air quality information in the Eaton and Palisades fire areas.

The data is gathered from two air quality monitoring sites set up last week. They're located at the Altadena Golf Course and Will Rogers State Beach, two locations where crews are processing hazardous materials recovered from buildings impacted by the wildfires.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District's monitors collect data hourly and results are posted online almost in real time, according to the district.

"Debris removal could cause hazardous dust and ash to become airborne. The continuous
monitors check for dust (PM10) and fine particles (PM2.5). These can enter the lungs and may
have negative health impacts," the SCAQMD wrote in a release.

• Read more: Federal Crews Begin Removing Millions Of Tons Of Wildfire Debris

Additional monitoring locations will be installed soon, officials said.

The dashboard is available on the SCAQMD's website, which also includes other information about ongoing air-quality testing related to January's wildfires.

In addition to this latest air-quality effort, the AQMD conducted mobile surveys of the Palisades and Eaton fire areas in recent weeks. Those tests showed no elevated levels of lead, arsenic, benzene or other harmful airborne materials, according to regulators. More information about those tests is available on the SCAQMD website.