A home that survived the January 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles may still be unsafe inside, even if the walls are still standing and the rooms look untouched.
That warning is driving a new campaign: Standing Homes, launched Oct. 6 by wildfire survivors, LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and the California Community Foundation.
Here's what to know
Residents can learn more through the campaign's website, standinghomes.la. According to MyNewsLA, the effort is focused on homeowners and renters whose homes may still have smoke and soot contamination from the January 2025 fires, with claims and related action due by Jan. 7, 2027.
Barger warned that post-fire conditions can be deceptive, saying: "A house that 'looks fine' proves nothing. Homeowners need to know their rights, and the facts, to address what they can and cannot do to address the potential for environmental hazards left behind from the fires and unaddressed by homeowners' insurance companies."
Organizers added that Department of Insurance claim filings indicate more than 13,000 structures may have been left with unsafe living conditions tied to smoke and soot.
More background
In Altadena and Pacific Palisades, the January 2025 fires destroyed more than 16,000 structures and damaged many other homes, MyNewsLA reported.
Research from UCLA found that smoke-coated household belongings can continue releasing harmful chemicals indoors long after the fire is over.
Insurance disputes have added to the strain for some families who returned to homes that were still standing. Organizers behind Standing Homes said some insurers have treated these losses as "minor," even while residents worry their children may still be breathing toxic air left behind by the fires.
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What's being done?
Before the Jan. 7, 2027, statute of limitations expires, the campaign urges residents to understand their rights, learn what insurers must do, and take action.
Once a claim is filed, California's Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations require insurers to investigate the damage at their own expense. Homeowners who want another view on whether a home is safe can also hire a certified industrial hygienist for independent testing.
Organizers said the campaign aims to give residents facts and next steps to decide whether a home is safe. As Miguel Santana, president and CEO of the California Community Foundation, put it, "Owners and renters whose houses still stand, whose insurers call the loss 'minor,' and whose children may still be breathing toxic air left behind by the fires need to be armed with the facts and the next steps they can take to ensure their homes are safe to live in. Science must prevail, not a smell test."
Where can I learn more?
These stories further show that even when a house is still standing, wildfire survivors can face serious problems after the flames are out.
• During the Palisades Fire, one homeowner said nothing could have survived the destruction around it.
• A California architect said fire-resistant design choices probably helped one home withstand an inferno.
• In Los Angeles, homeowners said insurers failed them before the Palisades Fire worsened losses.
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