Los Angeles Daily News | "UCLA report: Standing homes air quality worsened over time in wildfire areas"
The Los Angeles Daily News quoted UCLA Fielding's Dr. Michael Jerrett and Dr. Yifang Zhu about their research into air quality after the 2025 fires.
The Los Angeles Daily News quoted UCLA Fielding's Dr. Michael Jerrett and Dr. Yifang Zhu about their research into air quality after the 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires.
The researchers found concentrations of volatile organic compounds, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes, remained significant or even increased after the fires were controlled and outdoor air quality recovered.
“These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to minimize indoor exposures during the recovery phase,” study co-author Dr. Michael Jerrett, professor in UCLA Fielding’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences and the Jonathan Fielding Chair in Climate Change and Public Health said in a statement. “These findings raise concerns about indoor air quality post-wildfire, and the potential for prolonged exposure leading to significant health impacts.”
Different volatile organic compounds peaked at different points during and post-fire. Compared to the active burning period, indoor-to-outdoor ratios were significantly higher post-fire. Elevated VOC levels were particularly present in uninhabited homes within burn zones.
“Even after wildfires are extinguished, residents may remain at risk of exposure to indoor VOCs,” Dr. Yifang Zhu, professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and a co-author of the study said a statement. “This pattern suggests that smoke-impacted materials within the home could continue to release VOCs into the indoor environment, creating a prolonged source of exposure. To reduce these risks, residents returning to affected homes should adopt measures to improve ventilation and filtration.”
The piece also ran in the Orange County Register, Pasadena Star-News, Torrance Daily Breeze, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Whittier Daily News, Ontario (CA) Daily Bulletin, and San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
