phys.org/news/2026-10-eaton-exposed-million-people-elevated.html Eaton Fire may have exposed nearly 7 million people to elevated lead levels
Caltech researchers analyzed smoke from the January 2025 Eaton Fire and found the urban plume far richer in toxic metals than wildfire smoke, including more than 50-fold more lead. They estimate nearly 7 million people in the Los Angeles area faced lead levels about 80 times typical values at the peak.
— via Phys.org