EPA Undertakes in LA the Largest Wildfire Hazardous Material Cleanup in Agency History

More than 1,000 personnel are clearing hazardous materials from thousands of properties affected by wildfires in Los Angeles County.

Contractors for the Environmental Protection Agency remove household hazardous waste as they search through homes damaged and destroyed by the Eaton fire in the Altadena neighborhood of Los Angeles County on Jan. 30, 2025. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched its most extensive wildfire hazardous waste removal operation to date, responding to the catastrophic wildfires that have devastated Los Angeles County, the agency stated on Feb. 3.

The agency noted in a statement that it had already conducted reconnaissance at 6,022 properties, including 3,636 affected by the Eaton fire and 2,386 by the Palisades fire.