LA fires: Chemicals from the smoke lingered inside homes long after the wildfires were out – studies tracked the harm

By: Yifang Zhu, University of California, Los Angeles, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 5, 2026

Words: 1,317

Last Updated: 3 days, 14 hours ago

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By Yifang Zhu, University of California, Los Angeles

When wildfires began racing through the Los Angeles area on Jan. 7, 2025, the scope of the disaster caught residents by surprise. Forecasters had warned about high winds and exceptionally dry conditions, but few people expected to see smoke and fires for weeks in one of America’s largest metro areas.

Environmental health scientist Yifang Zhu studies air quality at UCLA and began collecting samples from inside …

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