EPA Launches Soil Sampling Program to Validate L.A. Wildfire Cleanup
EPA will collect soil samples in Los Angeles fire-affected areas to confirm cleanup effectiveness, focusing on lead contamination, with results expected by spring 2026.
The EPA announced it will begin a soil sampling initiative in areas affected by recent Los Angeles wildfires to help residents confirm that cleanup efforts were effective and to improve response practices for future fires.
The voluntary program, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, follows a large-scale EPA cleanup completed in February 2025 after the Eaton and Palisades fires destroyed thousands of properties. The sampling effort is intended to validate that debris removal addressed potential contamination and to provide additional assurance to property owners.
Testing will focus primarily on lead, identified as the most significant remaining fire-related contaminant based on a Los Angeles County Department of Public Health study. EPA crews will collect soil samples at two depths — from the bottom of excavation areas and approximately six inches below — using multiple subsamples combined into a single composite sample for laboratory analysis.
Individual property owners will receive their results along with information about available resources from state and local agencies. Aggregated data will also be shared with county officials to support long-term planning and wildfire response improvements.
EPA officials said the initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen public health protections as wildfire impacts become more frequent and severe. Results from the sampling are expected by the end of spring 2026.
