Weeks after devastating wildfires, parents in California grapple with concerns about toxic ash lingering in schools. Canyon Charter Elementary School, near the Palisades Fire, faces protests for reopening, with parents demanding temporary relocation due to air and ash quality concerns. While LAUSD assures safety measures are in place, including air purifiers and cleaning, some parents remain uneasy about long-term health impacts of exposure to ash containing dangerous chemicals.
Canyon Charter Elementary School remains closed Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif., following nearby wildfires.
In the Pacific Palisades, Canyon Charter could reopen as soon as Monday. School officials say staff are working hard to make sure schools are clean and safe and they're confident in their decision. But some parents feel the school is rushing to open. They're urging officials to temporarily relocate, while others try to transfer their students elsewhere.
Some schools are within a “do not drink water” advisory, including Canyon Charter. That means fountains are turned off and bottled water is provided, the district said. “Children often have more hand-to-mouth behavior and their bodies are rapidly growing in these first few years, so they can be more sensitive to this type of pollution," said Patel. "There will be a risk for a while to come in terms of exposure.”Scientists still don't know the long-term health impacts of exposure to massive urban fires like this year's in California or the one in Maui, Hawaii in 2023. Three schools in Lahaina didn't reopen for two months after that.
Environment Health WILDFIRES SCHOOL REOPENINGS TOXIC ASH PARENT CONCERNS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CALIFORNIA
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