Many homeowners in fire-affected areas worry that burning and smoke left harmful contaminants in garden soil, threatening home-grown food and children’s play areas. DIY soil detox workshops teach plant-based remediation, compost use, and other natural methods to reduce contaminants and restore soil health. Conventional cleanup often involves scraping and removing topsoil, which can leave large portions of yards untreated and simply relocate contamination. Educators and landscapers promote phytoremediation and microbial approaches as environmentally friendly, empowering residents to take action and serve as a practical backstop when formal cleanup is limited.
Her yard was scorched in the Eaton fire as her block went up in flames. The planetary scientist's house survived, but unseen contaminants could be lurking in the soil. "What can I do to keep that tree healthy, hopefully be able to eat the fruit a number of years down the line without worrying about whether or not I'm poisoning my family?" she wondered. The internet was full of opinions, but science was scarce.
So when a DIY soil detoxification workshop came up at a local nursery, she jumped on it. Many others did too; roughly 40 people were waitlisted for the three-hour class led by SoilWise, a landscaping, education and consulting business. Once a niche subject, the firestorms of January have put a spotlight on soil health, as residents wonder if their yards are safe for their children to play or if their home-grown tomatoes are OK to eat.
As part of its post-fire cleanup, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it would scrape up to 6 inches from fire-destroyed homes. But in many cases, large swaths of yards and gardens were left out. That's not real remediation, SoilWise's Genesis Sandoval said during the recent workshop at Theodore Payne Foundation, a native plant nursery and education center in Sun Valley. "It's really just moving a problem from one place to another place."
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