In addition to the direct victims of the Los Angeles fires, victims could suffer, in the short and longer term, from effects on their health linked to smoke.
In and around the affected areas, pollution reaches levels up to 20 times higher than the dangerous threshold set by the WHO.
But water contamination also threatens the victims.
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Los Angeles plagued by historic fires
Since the flames swept through Los Angeles last Tuesday, the Californian megalopolis has been enveloped in a thick cloud of smoke. In the areas closest to the fires, pollution reaches levels up to 20 times higher than the dangerous threshold set by the WHO. The cause: fine, carcinogenic particles from materials burned in homes. In the areas closest to the fires, the thickness of soot deposited on vehicles provides a glimpse of what is floating in the air. “The air quality is bad for my throat, that’s why my voice is broken. I’m probably going to catch something serious in the long term, well I hope not”, testifies a resident in the report at the top of this article.
Pneumology services are already seeing an influx of patients. “Breathing these particles can cause serious irritation to the lungs and respiratory tract,” explains Nader Kamangar, pulmonologist, emphasizing that“They are small enough to lodge in the pulmonary alveoli and then there is a risk of them entering the blood.”
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For everyone, especially the most vulnerable, the authorities strongly recommend wearing a mask. But in pharmacies and supermarkets, it is becoming difficult to find them. “When the fire started, I rushed here and there were already more, so I was using my clothes to protect myself, but this is much safer,” explains a resident who ended up finding masks in a DIY store, just delivered but which risk being quickly robbed.
“There are metals in the water”
In addition to air pollution, water contamination also threatens disaster victims. They are also prohibited from drinking or using tap water. For Maria, already without gas or electricity, daily life is not easy. “They tell us that there are metals in the water. No, you can’t see it. Before, I boiled it and we drank it. But they told us that even boiling it didn’t remove metals”, she explains in the video above. In this context, volunteers distribute bottles of water to residents throughout the neighborhood.
Finally, while the clearing and cleaning has only just begun, the delicate question of managing and recycling all the debris, objects and waste ravaged by the flames arises. Their very large numbers could pose big problems for Los Angeles County.
