Federal agencies are removing topsoil from burned areas but will not test it for contaminants. So scientists and residents are testing fire-affected properties themselves. By Livia Albeck-Ripka and ...

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration asked FEMA to reverse its decision to skip soil testing after federal cleanup workers remove debris from properties burned in the Eaton and Palisades fires.

Residents in the Eaton burn area and downwind can now send in soil samples from their yard to test for lead, a potent neurotoxin that’s especially dangerous for kids, thanks to a new program from the ...