The New York Times has created a visualization showing where toxic substances were detected inside standing homes after the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California. Each yellow dot represents a home where residents shared toxicology results confirming contamination in their home, such as cyanide, formaldehyde, or heavy metals. Although the official public health advisory zone (shown in brown) extends only 250 yards from burned structures, many contaminated homes fall well outside that boundary. The map illustrates how toxic smoke spreads well over a mile from the flames, highlighting how existing safety zones may underestimate true reach and risk of wildfire smoke exposure.
Mapping Effects of Wildfire Smoke
previous post
