The Washington Post: The L.A. fires gave us an unprecedented look at the danger of urban blazes
Published:
Our UCLA team’s rapid-response research on the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires has been featured in The Washington Post, highlighting the unprecedented real-time data collection that revealed the dangers of urban blazes.
Washington Post
The Washington Post published an article highlighting the extraordinary research efforts that provided new discoveries about urban wildfire hazards, including the persistence of harmful carcinogens after blazes were extinguished.
Article: The L.A. fires gave us an unprecedented look at the danger of urban blazes
Published: January 11, 2026
Author: Ruby Mellen
Rapid Response Research
The article describes our UCLA research team’s unique position to study the fires in real-time:
“By some grim coincidence, a team of scientists was already prepared to deploy into the hills of Los Angeles for another study when the city’s firestorm sparked.”
On January 7, 2025, our team—equipped with expensive monitoring devices and contacts in the area—pivoted from assessing air quality at a decade-old gas leak site to conducting a real-time analysis of the unfolding disaster.
Unprecedented Opportunity
The article emphasizes the significance of our rapid deployment:
“It felt like a rare opportunity — an obligation, almost — to sample the air during an active fire.”
This real-time data collection during an active urban wildfire provided unprecedented insights into the immediate and lingering dangers posed by these types of disasters.
Key Research Finding
The Washington Post highlights our critical discovery:
“Harmful carcinogens were still present after the blazes were extinguished, one study found.”
This finding has important implications for public health protection and recovery planning in fire-affected urban areas.
Public Health Significance
Our research demonstrates that urban wildfires present unique challenges compared to traditional wildland fires, with:
- Complex mixtures of toxic materials from burned structures
- Prolonged indoor air quality issues
- Need for specialized testing and remediation
- Critical importance of real-time monitoring during active fires
Related Research
This media coverage is based on our publication: Indoor and Outdoor Volatile Organic Compound Levels during and after the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
Our team’s commitment to rapid-response research has provided critical scientific evidence for protecting public health during and after urban wildfire disasters.