In the wake of the California wildfires, tons of debris still sitting along the coast and some of it is being washed into the ocean and then drifting back onto the beach in various places.
Cleanup is proceeding faster than expected in some areas, but there is just so much of it given the number of homes that burned that this is inevitable.
FOX 11 in Los Angeles reports:
Palisades Fire debris washing up on Santa Monica beachesIf you’ve been to Santa Monica Beach, you’ve probably seen the piles of charred debris from recent fires still on the beach. We also see quite a few people on the sand, even dipping their feet in the water, despite public health advisories. The question is, when will the beach debris be removed?Different beaches usually have different jurisdictions when it comes to cleanups, but back on February 4, LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath introduced a motion to take “immediate action to clean fire debris from county beaches.”Some cleanup has occurred near the worst fire burn areas off PCH, but as you get close to Santa Monica Beach, the amount of debris increases. The agencies that would usually organize cleanups in these areas, like Heal the Bay, are stopping all cleanups until they see more testing from the Department of Health.Their preliminary testing results for contaminants at two sites, Will Rogers State Beach and Topanga Beach, on Feb. 2, found “metals likely representative of background levels and no asbestos, not detected or extremely limited to minor concentrations.”
In some cases, the debris gathers together in the water forming makeshift islands.
From ABC 7 News:
After the devastating fires ripped through the Los Angeles area last month, the clean up process has been nothing short of difficult.Drone footage over the Palisades Fire burn zone showed the extent of the damage right off the Pacific Ocean.Higher than normal tides are flooding normally dry burned beachfront homes in Malibu and fire debris is being dragged offshore.Video shows the debris floating in the water and collecting just offshore in some areas along the Malibu coast.Toxic fire debris going into the water and its impact on marine life and the environment has been a major concern.
It’s a good thing Gavin Newsom is launching a podcast, isn’t it?
Adam Carolla, who has been taking this entire situation much more seriously, recently commented on some of the unforeseen issues that are going to make rebuilding more difficult.
Rebuilding these communities is going to be a very long process.
Featured image via YouTube.
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