1.Homes Near Fire Suffered Unseen Damage
WhatsAPP has been a blessing after the fire. That app, like the social media Nextdoor provide truthful and accurate information. BS.
A resident came across a story and photo about their property that was widely circulated between WhatsApp groups in April. The resident wrote: “The person who took this picture (and trespassed on my property) and made up the story should be ashamed. This photo and story spread misinformation and apparently stoked fears.”
The “fake” owner, the person posting wrote that when they opened up the wall during remediation, the interior of the wall burned and that the drywall only showed some slight sagging on the interior.
The actual owner tried to post the truth because this false story caused many homeowners to fear that burned wood could be inside their walls just because a house burned close by.
How many other stories, possibly from people living outside the Palisades, are being circulated on these apps? No one knows because no one is fact checking. Apps provide factual information.
FACT OR BS? BS.
2.The City Sets a Good Example for clearing damaged property:
L.A. City has told property owners affected by the January fires that their property needs to be cleared by June 30. “If you do not take any action, properties will be declared a nuisance and owners will be responsible for all abatement cost without the possibility of FEMA reimbursement and possibly be subject to a lien on your property,” L.A. Mayor Bass said during a press conference March 21.
But some Castellammare residents wonder about City lots still not cleared. “Yesterday we went to see our home on Porto Marina and while most of us have cleaned up our lots, the three that the city owns still sit there. They have been eyesores since the 70s when they were damaged during a landslide. The City also has not repaired the landslide issues from over a year ago.”
The lots on Tramonto were damaged in the 1970s, but have never been cleaned by the City.
The City sets a good example.
FACT OR BS? BS.
3.Caruso Bought Gelson’s after the fire.
That rumor also circulated on a social media app. Gelson’s supermarket opened in 1979 in Pacific Palisades. Gelson’s was sold to TPG Capital in 2014. In 2019, it was sold to a private trust for $51 million in a leaseback deal and then Gelson’s signed a long-term lease.
CTN contacted Gelson’s who said it was a City issue, but that they wanted to come back to the Palisades. The media person never defined the issue. CTN asked for a contact for the investment group, but was told it could not be shared. But it was confirmed that this property was not purchased after the fire and the store wanted to come back.
Steve Soboroff after the fire said that Gelson’s “are talking about reopening three years from now.”
Caruso bought Gelson’s after the fire.
FACT OR BS: BS.
4.The soil and air are Deadly in the Palisades.
An update by South Coast AQMD was printed in the Councilmember’s most recent newsletter.
The South Coast AQMD established five temporary air monitoring stations in the most impacted areas after the fire and the stations measured particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), air toxic metals (such as arsenic and lead), and asbestos to provide the information needed to support health risks evaluations. They found that “the levels of PM2.5 and PM10 have remained below federal air quality standards throughout the monitoring period. Preliminary results show that most air quality measurements have remained within typical background levels. Overall, these findings suggest that air quality in the affected fire zones has largely returned to pre-fire conditions.”
Additionally, an April 10 report [“Initial Findings from Representative Soil Samples at Intact Parcels”] sponsored by the L.A.County of Public Health, found the soil was good in the Palisades. Between March 4 to 11, 780 parcels were tested with about five samples per parcel, roughly 4,000 samples in intact homes/yards in the burn area.
The findings? In Pacific Palisades “Widespread contamination from potentially fire-related chemicals are not evident,” the report stated. “There was some sampling of soils from isolated areas that had heavy metal and PAH concentration above screen levels, but the source for these localized impacts is unknown at this time. They are not consistent with communitywide impacts from fire-related smoke plumes.”
The soil and are are deadly in Pacific Palisades.
Hi Sue, You left out the most important part of the story – that the REASON why there was burned wood inside the wall and only visible sagging of the drywall on the interior was NOT because houses burned nearby (like the “fake” owner stated) but because there was a shed full of Costco paper goods and cleaning supplies, and a propane tank, just on the other side of the wall. It likely all went up in a big inferno.
Hi Sue, while not deadly in the short term the possible long term effects of toxins in our soil after the fires is real. Pali fortunately does not have the magnitude of toxins Alta Dena does due to the year homes were built there. I have spoken to many individuals who have had independent tests done on their lots and all stated toxins were present. How could they not be after a home burns with all the materials found not only in the building materials but the objects contain inside the home. We had heavy rains which allowed toxins to seep into the soil and pour into our creeks, sewage system and then into the ocean. Our we really going to rely on what the city is telling us about the air and in particular our soil after all the misinformation and incompetence you have reported on? I can’t speak intelligently on the air quality. But do you know the positioning and location of the air monitors? There very inexpensive options to remediate one’s soil of possible toxins and rejuvenate the soil’s microorganisms that have been excavated away during the clearing of our lots. Is it better to have peace of mind and treat ones soil at a minimal cost or roll the dice and listen to the city of LA?