Wildfire Debris Washing Up On Los Angeles Beaches Causes Alarm

The county says beaches are safe, but one group says that's a premature assessment.

Environmentalists are raising concerns about wildfire debris that’s washed up on Los Angeles beaches, saying they’re skeptical of the county’s assurances that the shoreline is safe for people.

“This is an unprecedented event, and we must wait for the results of additional testing before declaring our beaches safe,” environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay warned residents Wednesday, telling them to stay off the sand.

The message comes a week after the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors (DBH) said the debris ― charred matter from destroyed homes and businesses that washed into the oceans during January’s massive fires ― is “not hazardous to beachgoers or the environment” but that beachgoers should take steps to avoid large pieces of debris, as it “may be unstable, have sharp edges or contain nails.”

Those precautions should be stricter, Heal the Bay urged, saying it’s learned that the county’s determination “is likely based on only two debris samples”

“These samples were collected to determine the disposal method required to remove the debris, not to determine if it is safe for people to be on the sand. It is alarming that DPH would make this proclamation based on only two data points,” the group said.