California and FEMA’s Cover-Up by Omission: No Soil Testing, No Proof of Safety

In a bombshell investigation, the Los Angeles Times reports that Cal OES pursued a FEMA-led debris cleanup that excluded post-fire soil testing, and California did not step in to fund that testing afterward—despite the state’s long-standing practice of testing in prior wildfire recoveries, including when federal agencies have not.

That decision marks a sharp break from California’s own precedent: an internal Cal OES memo cited by the Times notes that comprehensive soil testing has been conducted after 64 wildfire cleanups since 2007 to confirm properties are safe and trigger additional excavation when contaminants exceed benchmarks. In plain terms, Trump’s federal agencies and Newsom’s state agencies both left residents to rebuild and return without the basic proof of safety California has historically treated as essential—and many Eaton and Palisades fire survivors are hearing the same message: our health and safety is negotiable.


1/11/26

ALE/FRV Cutoffs Before Remediation: We’re Documenting What’s Happening

EFRU and LA Standing Homes are hearing from a growing number of standing-home survivors whose Additional Living Expenses (ALE) or Fair Rental Value (FRV) benefits are being cut off or threatened before insurance-approved remediation of their homes is complete. To better understand the scope of this issue and identify patterns across insurers, LA Standing Homes, in collaboration with EFRU, has created a short survey for anyone impacted by an ALE or FRV cutoff or threat. Responses will be used in aggregate to support advocacy, regulatory engagement, and—where participants consent—media coverage. Individual responses will not be shared publicly without permission. If this is happening to you, please take a few minutes to add your experience. Survey: https://forms.gle/NyeSuwCBQBCsYtMh8