The Pasadena parks department has closed baseball infields at two parks after LA County health officials revealed elevated lead levels in soil from the Eaton Fire, the city announced Friday.
Testing of soil samples from two areas in the city indicated lead levels higher than 80 parts per million, which does not require cleanup or remediation but indicates the need for further evaluation, city officials said.
One neighborhood’s boundaries are Lincoln Avenue, Washington Boulevard, North Altadena Drive and the city limit to the north, while the other area is between North Altadena Drive, Orange Grove Boulevard, Washington Boulevard and Eaton Drive, according to the city.
The closed baseball-softball infields are at Washington and Victory parks, officials said. Area residents and visitors who use those fields will be redirected to turf fields.
Soil will be tested at Robinson Park, Hamilton Park and Alice’s Dog Park, which are outside the identified neighborhoods and will remain open, parks officials said.
“We are taking proactive steps to help ensure that our parks are safe for all visitors, especially young children who are most vulnerable to lead exposure,” Koko Panossian, director of the Pasadena Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, said in a statement.
Soil testing is needed where children are more likely to contact lead-exposed soil, according to city health officials. Lead exposure occurs when an individual swallows, has prolonged skin contact or inhales particles from contaminated soil that can be tracked indoors on shoes or clothing.
Officials said children under 6 years old are more vulnerable to lead exposure because they are more likely to place hands in mouths after touching soil or possibly eat it.
Within the two neighborhoods that showed elevated lead screening levels, city officials called for soil testing in parks and sports fields with exposed soil, including baseball diamonds, soccer fields, tracks for running and football fields. Officials also called for restricting public use of those facilities until a qualified professional can do tests for heavy metals.
Individuals can check for lead exposure through their doctor — most health plans cover blood tests for lead. Quest Labs offer free blood lead tests.
Free lead blood testing is available from the city on April 27 from noon to 5 p.m. at Eaton Health Village/Pasadena Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1280 E. Washington Blvd.
Eaton Fire survivors seek State Farm investigation
Eaton Fire survivors on Thursday called for state Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to launch an investigation into what they said was widespread delays, denials and unresolved claims by State Farm following the January wildfires.
“Most people assume that if you pay your premiums, your insurer will be there when disaster strikes,” said Joy Chen from the Eaton Fire Survivors Network. “But for many State Farm policyholders, the fire was just the start of their trauma. Each day since then, their financial and emotional devastation has grown because of State Farm’s actions.”
Chen was joined by eight other longtime State Farm policyholders and survivors of the blaze that killed 18 people and destroyed or damaged over 10,000 structures. The group’s collective message was, “State Farm is failing California families and must be held accountable.”
The Eaton Fire Survivors Network is a 1,700-member coalition advocating for recovery after the devastating fire that burned more than 14,000 acres in Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre.
EFSN urged state officials not to grant the insurer’s request for a rate increase, which is the sixth such hike in six years.
“We’re here to help our customers recover and we empathize with those who are rebuilding their lives. As of April 16, we’ve received approximately 12,500 total claims related to the fires and have paid over $3 billion to our customers,” according to a statement from State Farm General Insurance Company.
“Our focus continues to be on supporting our customers in their recovery from the largest fire event we have ever experienced in the state. Our claim handlers remain on the ground assisting customers with their claims,” the statement continued. “Customers should continue to directly reach out to us with claim questions or concerns. We actively work with each of our customers to understand the facts of their loss, identify the damages and applicable coverage, and ultimately resolve their claim.”
In February, State Farm executives asked Lara to OK an emergency interim rate hike, citing the wildfires’ financial impact on the company as they waited for the Insurance Department’s decision on rate requests submitted last summer. According to the State Farm, which is the largest insurer in the nation, the company expects to pay more than $7 billion in claims as a result of the devastating fires.
After a public hearing April 8, the Insurance Department and State Farm reached an agreement that is awaiting a judge’s approval before it can go into effect. Starting in June, policyholders could see an average increase of 17% for home insurance. State Farm first sought a 22% increase but reduced it at the hearing last week. The insurer also seeks rate hikes of 15% for renters and condos and 38% for rental dwellings.
The emergency rate increases are necessary to prevent State Farm — which has 20% of the California insurance market — from going bankrupt, according to Lara’s department. As part of the agreement, the State Farm would provide the state with $500 million from its parent company State Farm Mutual and would also commit to pause nonrenewals of homeowner policies through the end of 2025.
Chen and EFSN members challenged those claims.
“State Farm isn’t just refusing to pay what they owe to Eaton Fire survivors, they want to charge us more for the privilege of being their customers,” Chen said. “And Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is on the verge of rewarding them. His job is to protect consumers, not reward corporate misbehavior.”
Consumer Watchdog Executive Director Carmen Balber added, “Last week’s proceedings made it clear: State Farm’s request does not meet the legal standard for a rate increase. Approving it would set a dangerous precedent, letting insurers bypass consumer protections and shift costs onto struggling families.”
“They’ve told us it’s fine for our children to sleep on beds contaminated with lead, even though there’s no EPA-approved method for cleaning soft goods exposed to it,” she said.
Other EFSN members detailed their troubles with State Farm’s disaster response, noting significant gaps between what they’ve spent recovering from the fire and reimbursements they’ve received from the insurer.
Kelsey Szamet, a mother of two children whose life was uprooted by the Eaton Fire, said her family has spent $199,000 recovering from the fire and has received $54,000 from State Farm.
“We felt lucky our home was saved, but that relief didn’t last,” Szamet said. “We just want our children to come home to a place that won’t make them sick. We’re asking State Farm to do what they promised, to help make our homes livable again.”
Andrew Wessels, a father of a 1-year-old baby and 5-year-old kindergartner, said, “Rather than restore our home to safety after the Eaton Fire, they’ve suggested we simply perform basic cleaning and return our children to rooms where lead dust coats their toys, clothing and play areas.”
The Eaton Fire Survivors Network sent Lara a letter documenting members’ experiences with State Farm. Chen said the accounts highlighted five patterns that policyholders experienced: feelings of betrayal, stonewalling, toxic homes and inadequate remediation, financial devastation as the insurer delays or disputes claims and a severe emotional toll.
Chen noted that if State Farm receives the rate increase, it could cost homeowners an average of $460 annually, with families in wildfire-affected areas paying more.
Chen observed that the main factor in Altadena’s recovery is residents’ access to insurance payouts. She urged fire survivors and impacted policyholders to sign onto their letter at EFSurvivors.net and to share it.
