USC Study Finds Eaton Fire Sent Major Pollution Wave Across Los Angeles

A USC Dornsife-led study found that the January 2025 Eaton Fire sent a major pollution wave across Los Angeles, with carbon monoxide emissions estimated at more than 20 times L.A. County’s average daily human-caused emissions. The smoke reached downtown within hours and pushed west toward the coast, while PM2.5 levels at some monitoring sites exceeded the EPA’s 24-hour health standard for one to three days. Researchers found that burning homes and other structures contributed more to the fire’s carbon emissions than vegetation, underscoring the fire’s significant air-quality and public-health impact. Those of us with standing homes in Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre felt the closest brunt of this contamination. Read more here.