California
Homeowners spared by California fires grapple with returning home amid toxic debris:
Lynn McIntyre is supposed to feel like one of the lucky ones. When a series of wildfires devastated Los Angeles in January, her Pacific Palisades home was among those inexplicably spared. But with every single home around her burned to the ground, McIntyre calls herself something different: “one of the left behinds.”
“I don’t feel as lucky as people think,” she said. “Because I don’t have the same set of issues that all of my neighbors have. They’re cut and dried.”
Cut and dried, she says, because their homes are total losses in the eyes of insurance companies. They don’t have to figure out how to clean up a home that’s standing in a sea of toxic ash, soot and debris, the remnants of all the synthetic stuff that makes up modern life – appliances, clothing and carpets — after it all burned at high heat.
“There’s no guidelines for what you should be looking for. There’s no guidelines telling you who to call or regulate testing,” she said. “It’s a Wild West out there with the testing, with the remediation companies. People are just grasping at straws with no guidance from government.”
Tests, which McIntyre says she spent more than $5,000 of her own money on, showed arsenic was present inside her home as well as lead levels 22 times higher than what’s considered safe by the EPA.
Still, McIntyre’s insurer has told her it will not cover the cost of cleaning up her home because it does not constitute a “direct physical loss.” She also won’t get help from the agencies tasked by the Federal Emergency Management Agency with cleaning up from the fires – the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The first phase of cleaning up Los Angeles
The EPA started its portion of the cleanup, known as Phase 1, first by removing all the hazardous waste – things like propane tanks, cleaning supplies and paint cans – and combing the burn zones for electric vehicles, the newest challenge when cleaning up after an urban fire.
Electric vehicles are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which can explode, emit toxic gasses or re-ignite even weeks or months after they’ve been damaged. Just one electric vehicle contains thousands of those batteries. Chris Myers, who leads the EPA’s Lithium-Ion Battery Emergency Response team, said leaving those “uncontrolled out in the field” poses a danger to the public.
“They are delicate, they are fragile, they’re unstable,” he explained. “In the public, access is very, very dangerous for anyone who is onsite, right, not just our workers, but the public at large.”
EPA teams found about 600 electric vehicles, most of them in McIntyre’s Palisades neighborhood.
But just identifying incinerated electric vehicles has been a challenge, according to Myers. So, the EPA conducted reconnaissance, sending dozens of teams across Altadena and the Pacific Palisades, searching for the skeletons of electric vehicles in the debris and calling power companies and manufacturers to locate the power walls, which were often attached to homes, to charge them.
The instability of these damaged batteries means extracting them from a single electric vehicle can take a six-person team up to two hours. It’s a delicate surgery performed with heavy machinery. First, the top of the car is sawed off and then flipped over, exposing the battery underneath. The thousands of cells that make up the battery are scooped out and placed into steel drums which are transported to a temporary processing site. Once at the processing site they’re plunged into a saltwater solution for three days, a process that allows any trapped energy in the battery to dissipate, making them far less likely to reignite. Lastly, the batteries are shoveled onto a tarp and steamrolled, ensuring that what’s left, according to Myers, can no longer be considered a battery.
Handling California’s hazardous waste
So where does all that battery waste end up? 60 Minutes found the answer 600 miles away.
Despite no longer being considered “batteries,” what’s left is still technically considered a hazardous material under California’s strict environmental regulations. We learned that this battery waste was being trucked hundreds of miles away to a hazardous waste landfill – in Utah.
For years, the state of California has struggled to keep up with the amount of hazardous waste it generates. California only has two operating landfills certified to take hazardous materials and, even before the fires, those two sites couldn’t hold all of the state’s hazardous waste. Instead about half of it is trucked hundreds of miles away to nearby states, mostly Utah and Arizona, which rely on more lenient federal waste standards.
Removing billions of pounds of debris
After the EPA finished clearing more than 9,000 properties of hazardous debris and while that battery waste was still being hauled out of state, the second phase of the cleanup was getting underway. The second phase involves removing all the rest of the debris – about nine billion pounds’ worth – including everything from concrete foundations to furniture and contaminated soil.
This phase is being overseen by the U.S. Army Corps Engineers under the leadership of Col. Eric Swenson, who anticipates their work will be done by the first anniversary of the fires.
It’s a task that’s being carried out parcel by parcel, dump truck by dump truck. Swenson said the time it takes to clear one property can take up to 10 days depending on the complexity of the structure and the terrain it sits on.
“If we have a house that’s pinned on the side of a mountain, pinned on the side of a coastline, those properties could take us six, eight, 10 days to do, because we’re gonna need some specialized equipment to get in there,” Swenson said.
The Army Corps and its cavalry of dump trucks is also responsible for removing six inches of topsoil from the charred properties once the debris is cleared. Swenson’s confident six inches is enough to make the soil safe again and worries that further excavation makes it difficult for homeowners to rebuild.
“All we’re doing is economically disadvantaging that owner, and delaying their ability to rebuild, ’cause now they’re gonna have to replace all of that soil we excavated– from– from that property,” Swenson said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom doesn’t think removing six inches of soil is enough. His office asked FEMA, which determines the scope of work for the Army Corps, to test the remaining soil for toxic contaminants as it’s done after previous wildfires. FEMA says the agency changed its approach to soil testing in 2020 because it found that contamination deeper than six inches was typically pre-existing and not necessary for public health protection.
The long road home
But residents like Matthew Craig, who lived in Altadena, aren’t eligible for help from the Army Corps or EPA cleanup crews. Craig’s home, like Lynn McIntyre’s, is still standing, but the strong winds that fueled the wildfires pushed smoke and soot inside, leaving a fine layer of ash on everything. It’s that ash that worries him.
“The house is filled with the ashes of thousands of homes that are hundreds of years old,” he said. “These houses are filled with asbestos. They’re filled with lead.”
Craig’s insurance company has agreed to test the inside of his home for toxins and he’s waiting to hear whether they’ll cover his clean up costs. Until testing can show that his home is safe, Craig says that he, his wife and young son won’t return.
McIntyre shares Craig’s concerns. She signed an 18-month lease on an apartment out of town, anticipating the road home for her, and her neighbors, will be a long one.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (FOX26) — One week after ongoing efforts to ensure housing compliance statewide, Governor Gavin Newsom, through the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), has issued final warnings to 15 cities and counties that have failed to meet state housing law requirements.
These jurisdictions are more than 60 days away from securing a certified housing element, a mandatory plan that outlines how communities will meet housing needs for residents of all income levels.
The cities and counties have 30 days to respond to the Notices of Violation.
If they fail to act, HCD could take further steps, including referral to the Attorney General.
“I’m disappointed on behalf of the state and the people of California that after years of effort, we still have communities that aren’t meeting the needs of their residents,” Gov. Newsom said. “There’s no carve-out here. No community gets a pass when it comes to addressing homelessness or creating more housing access. We’ll keep pushing forward by enforcing the law, fighting NIMBY actions, and holding local governments accountable, because every Californian deserves a place to call home.”
Under California law, every community must adopt a housing element demonstrating how it will meet regional housing needs for residents at all income levels, and submit that plan to HCD for review.
With guidance and technical assistance, 92 percent of California communities have already achieved compliance in the 6th cycle.
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The 15 jurisdictions receiving Notices of Violation are now part of a final push to bring all communities into compliance.
“These communities remain more than two years behind schedule and lack a clear path to compliance within 60 days,” HCD said. “If any jurisdictions on track fail to meet the requirements within that period, they will also face potential legal action.”
The 15 cities and counties receiving notices are: Atwater, Avenal, California City, Corcoran, Escalon, Half Moon Bay, Hanford, Kings County, Lemoore, Merced County, Montclair, Oakdale, Patterson, Ridgecrest and Turlock.
HCD has previously taken legal action or entered court-enforced agreements with other cities, including Anaheim, Elk Grove, La Canada Flintridge, Norwalk and Huntington Beach.
Since its creation in 2021, Gov. Newsom’s Housing Accountability Unit (HAU) has taken more than 1,200 enforcement actions, including securing 10 stipulated judgments and settlement agreements.
The unit has also “unlocked” 12,486 housing units, including more than 3,644 affordable units, that may have otherwise been stalled in local planning processes.
Governor Newsom has made addressing the housing and homelessness crises a statewide priority.
His efforts include:
- Streamlining housing construction through legal and regulatory reforms, including CEQA updates, to remove barriers to building new housing.
- Creating shelter and support programs for people living in encampments while holding local governments accountable for providing housing solutions.
- Expanding mental health care and supportive housing, including delivering more than 6,900 residential treatment beds and over 27,500 outpatient treatment slots following voter-approved Proposition 1 in 2024.
- Updating conservatorship laws to assist those unable to care for themselves due to severe mental illness or substance use disorders, creating the new CARE court system.
- Removing dangerous encampments on state and local property while connecting residents to shelter and services, with over 20,600 encampments cleared on state right-of-ways since 2021.
Californians can track how their communities are addressing housing, homelessness, and mental health through HCD’s accountability portal.
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California
U.S. Forest Service issues Southern California rattlesnake warning after two deadly bites
The U.S. Forest Service has issued a warning regarding an increase in rattlesnake sightings in Southern California, especially after two deadly bites were reported in the last few weeks.
In a social media post, the USFS San Bernardino National Forest rangers reminded hikers and outdoor enthusiasts to be wary while exploring nature due to the increased temperatures and arrival of spring weather.
“As temperatures rise, rattlesnakes become more active in the forest,” the USFS’s post said. ” Stay alert, watch where you step and keep pets close.”
Southern California encounters
Since the beginning of the year, hikers have already reported rattlesnake encounters near a Moreno Valley hiking trail in Riverside County, where someone was bitten and required hospitalization.
There have been deadly incidents reported in both Orange County, where a man was bitten while mountain biking in Irvine, and Ventura County, where a 46-year-old woman died from “rattlesnake venom toxicity in an accidental manner.”
“If you encounter a rattlesnake, give it plenty of space and calmly move away,” the social media post said. “Never attempt to touch or disturb wildlife.”
USFS officials credited the increase in encounters to elevated temperatures and abnormally sunny conditions as opposed to the typical winter weather that Southern California sees.
They said that snakes can use their full length to strike, sometimes equating to more than five feet.
Treating rattlesnake bites
Officials advised anyone bitten by a rattlesnake to:
- call 911 and seek immediate medical attention
- keep the bite victim still as movement allows venom to spread through the body more easily
- keep the injured body part motionless and lower than heart level
- keep the victim warm and at rest
- refraining from food and drink
- cover the bite with a clean, dry dressing
They also urged people to avoid using a tourniquet, slashing at the wound with a knife, sucking out the venom, using ice or immersing the wound in water, drinking alcohol as a painkiller or drinking caffeinated beverages.
Officials warned that people should not wait for symptoms of a bite to appear before seeking medical attention. However, they provided a list of different signs that someone may see if they are bitten by a rattler, including:
- puncture marks at the wound
- redness and swelling around the bite
- severe pain at the site of the bite
- nausea and vomiting
- labored breathing
- disturbed vision
- increased sweating and salivation
- numbness or tingling in the face and/or limbs
Spotting and avoiding rattlesnakes
While Southern California is home to several species of rattlesnake, the most common are typically the Western Diamondback and Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Aside from their infamous rattle, rattlesnakes can be identified by their broad and diamond-shaped head. They usually have spotched markings that appaer separated by lighter colored stripes that become smaller and narrower towards the tail, which is tipped with a paper-like noise-producing rattle, USFS officials said.
While they typically hide during the cold winter months, snakes venture out during warm weather. They usually hide in shady spots during the hottest parts of the day and begin hunting either in the early morning or evening. Officials advised that rattlesnakes can swim as well.
In order to avoid rattlesnakes, USFS rangers said that people should not tease or harass any wildlife, keep a distance of at least six feet if a rattler is spotted, stay on trails and watch where stepping or placing your hands when hiking or climbing over obstacles, avoid tall grass and piles of leaves and wear long pants and proper foot gear.
How Many More Records Could Fall This Week?
The most prolific March heat wave in at least 14 years has already smashed monthly records in almost 180 cities from the Southwest to the Plains and East, and will have staying power in the Southwest and Plains this week.
(MAP: Temperatures Right Now)
First, let’s recap the incredible records we’ve seen shattered so far. Then we’ll look and see how long this heat will last.
New US March Heat Record
Before this heat wave, the hottest March temperature on record anywhere in the U.S. had been 108 degrees in Rio Grande City, Texas, on March 30, 1954, and on March 14, 1902.
But at least one location in the U.S. tied or exceeded that March national record four days in a row from March 18 through 21.
On March 20, four reporting stations in the lower deserts of southeast California and southwest Arizona hit 112 degrees, shown in the map below. You can’t make it up that one of these stations was near the town of Winterhaven.
These highs were only one degree shy of tying the April U.S. record high set at Death Valley, California, according to weather historian Christopher Burt. And that happened in late April — April 22, 2012 and April 24, 1946.
March Statewide Records
It also appears that the hottest March temperatures on record in 14 states were either tied or broken.
We touched on the California and Arizona records above (112 degrees) as national records, but among some other state records that appear to have been tied or set include:
- Nevada: 106 degrees on March 21
- Colorado: 96 degrees on March 21
- Nebraska: 99 degrees on March 21
- Missouri: 97 degrees on March 21
- Minnesota: 88 degrees on March 21
The other states are shown on the map below.
For bigger state or national records like these, an ad hoc committee of meteorologists and climatologists is usually convened to examine the data and the reporting station before it becomes a new, official record.
City March Records
Almost 180 locations with data since the 1960s or earlier have tied or set new March records from California to Pennsylvania to South Carolina during this heat wave.
Some of those records are shown in the map below from NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center.
Phoenix only had one March day of triple digit heat on record prior to this heat wave. They hit the 100s seven days in a row from March 18-24, topping out at 105 degrees on March 20 and 21. Incredibly, that’s equal to their April monthly record, which was set almost a month later in the calendar on three dates ranging from April 20-29 in three past years.
Other major cities that tied or set new March records included San Francisco’s first March 90-degree high downtown, Las Vegas (97 degrees), Salt Lake City (84 degrees), Boise (83 degrees) and Denver (85 or 86 degrees for three straight days).
It wasn’t just a western heat wave.
March records were tied or set in Lubbock, Texas (98 degrees), Kansas City (93 degrees), Des Moines, Iowa (91 degrees), Nashville, Tennessee (89 degrees), Louisville, Kentucky (89 degrees), Indianapolis, Indiana (88 degrees), Columbus, Ohio (86 degrees), Pittsburgh (84 degrees), and Charleston, South Carolina (90 degrees).
Perhaps the most extraordinary record heat east of the Rockies happened in Nebraska on March 21.
Both Lincoln and Omaha not only demolished their March record, after reaching 97 degrees in Lincoln and 96 in Omaha, but it also tied their April record.
Many of these almost 180 cities tied or topped their previous March records multiple days in a row. Flagstaff, Arizona, reached or topped their previous March record of 73 degrees a staggering eight days in a row from St. Patrick’s Day through Tuesday. Las Vegas did that seven days in a row through Tuesday.
Several of these cities reached the 80s, 90s, or 100s for the first time in their recorded history.
Last weekend, parts of the Plains, were as much as 45 degrees warmer than average.
This is likely the most significant, long-lived March heat wave the nation has experienced since the March 2012 heat wave rewrote the record books in the central U.S. and Canada.
A sign warns hikers of trail closures due to extreme heat at Camelback Mountain on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Phoenix.
(AP Photo/Rebecca Noble)
There’s Still More Ahead In This Heat Wave
This heat wave isn’t over.
Another pulse of heat is surging into parts of the Plains and South this week, while continuing to bake the Southwest.
We’re expecting many dozen more daily record highs from California possibly as far east as parts of Georgia and the Carolinas.
Incredibly, some new March records could be set in a few areas, though last week’s heat set a much higher bar.
Some cities that could once again flirt with March record highs include Cheyenne, Denver and Amarillo. On Thursday, St. Louis could approach its March record (92 degrees) on Opening Day, no less, a record set 97 years ago.
(MORE: Heat Safety And Preparation)
How hot are we talking about?
Triple-digit highs: Parts of the Desert Southwest, including Phoenix, and the lower Colorado River Valley could again see triple digit heat through much of this week. A few of the hottest spots in western Texas, possibly southwest Oklahoma, could reach 100 degrees around Thursday.
90s: This searing heat will spread out from the Desert Southwest into the Plains from Nebraska to Texas to parts of the mid-Mississippi Valley through Thursday.
(MAPS: 10-Day US Forecast Highs, Lows)
Relief?
Yes, there is finally relief in sight.
A late week cold front should remove the heat from the Plains and Rockies, however, above-average warmth will rebuild back into the Plains, South and Midwest this weekend.
The Southwest will have to be more patient. While daily record warmth is possible through the weekend, a pattern of somewhat cooler temperatures, even some rain and showers are possible in the West, including California and Arizona, next week.
Long-Range Temperature Outlook (NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center)
Why So Hot So Soon?
The reason for this heat wave in particular has to do with the ridge of high pressure, also known as a heat dome, that was parked over the West.
This heat dome is record-breaking for March, comparable in strength to ones we see in June. You can see the general position of the high pressure on the satellite loop below in the darker shading.
Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
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