California schools destroyed in Palisades Fire
A spokesperson for Los Angeles Unified confirmed to Fox News Digital that Palisades Charter High School, Palisades Charter Elementary School and Marquez Elementary School sustained significant damage from the Palisades fire. (Credit: FOX 11)
As schools across the wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles area begin to reopen, parents are concerned about toxic ash that could harm their children.
Kelli Ferrone’s daughter’s school, Canyon Charter Elementary, could open as early as Monday. But after clearing the campus just half a mile from the devastating Palisade Fire Ferrone told The Associated Press that she would rather move temporarily than reopen quickly.
“(The Los Angeles Unified School District) has never experienced a disaster like this in its history,” Ferrone told the AP. “And I really think people are trying really hard, but our school needs a new temporary home with classrooms and teachers who teach in person. That’s the only thing that will make people feel comfortable.”
Ash is a poisonous soup of burned cars, electronics, batteries, building materials, paints, furniture and all other types of personal belongings. The ash contains pesticides, asbestos, plastic and lead, to which children are more sensitive, but scientists still do not know the long-term health effects of exposure.
CALIFORNIA RAIN HELPS FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO WILDFIRES, BUT POSES RISK OF TOXIC ASH FLOW
Kelli Ferrone takes her daughter to a temporary school Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Los Angeles as they wait for Canyon Charter Elementary School to reopen after being engulfed by smoke and ash from the Palisades Fire. (Brittany Peterson)
Canyon Charter Elementary School remains closed Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Santa Monica, California, following nearby fires. (Brittany Peterson)
“Children often behave “hand-to-mouth” and their bodies grow rapidly in these first few years, so they can be more sensitive to this type of pollution,” Dr. Lisa Patel, a pediatrician and executive director of the Society’s Medical Consortium for Climate and Health, told the AP. “For some time there will be a risk in terms of exposure.”
“All seven Los Angeles Unified School District locations in the immediate vicinity of the Palisades fire have been cleaned and inspected by environmental consultants before reopening,” an update from school district he said.
A jungle gym melted down and destroyed in the Eaton Fire is seen at the school on January 15, 2025 in Altadena, California. (John Locher, File)
The work was “conducted according to the guidelines for schools facing bushfires published by: California Department of Education, California Environmental Protection Agency, California Department of Emergency Services, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the US Environmental Protection Agency,” the LAUSD said.
While some struggle with the safety of existing schools, others have no school to return to.
Smoke plumes from the Hughes Fire rise over Castaic, California on January 22, 2025. (Ethan Swope, File)
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“The community is gone, my son’s school is gone, my son’s mom’s house is on fire,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” star Chris Pratt shared on social media. Pratt and his ex-wife Anna Faris have a 12-year-old son, Jack.
FOX News’ Stephanie Giang-Paunon and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
