Researchers have known since at least 2008 that wildfires can create chromium-6, but a new study, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology in November, is the first to report details such as how long it might persist in groundwater.
Gabrielle Amster has spent nearly two decades advancing innovative approaches in animal welfare, building strong teams, and improving lifesaving outcomes. I am confident she will bring steady leadership and a forward-looking vision that strengthens the department and improves services for both animals and the communities that care for them.
PG&E confirmed that a gas leak had occurred near that location. A spokesperson, Tamar Sarkissian, told us that a PG&E crew was on-site by 11:15 p.m. the night of April 9 and after working for about two hours, stopped the flow of gas as 'safely and as quickly as possible' - by 1:32 a.m. Friday morning.
The patchwork efforts to identify and safely remove contamination left by the 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires has been akin to the Wild West. Experts have given conflicting guidance on best practices. Shortly after the fires, the federal government suddenly refused to adhere to California's decades-old post-fire soil-testing policy; California later considered following suit. Meanwhile, insurance companies have resisted remediation practices widely recommended by scientists for still-standing homes.
A week later, powerful Santa Ana winds arrived, picked up some bits of rubber from one of the tractor's scorched tires and carried them over the containment area into dry vegetation, bringing the fire back to life, according to investigators. The subsequent blaze, the Mountain fire, burned nearly 20,000 acres and destroyed roughly 250 homes and structures in Camarillo Hills and nearby communities in western Ventura County.
