LOS ANGELES—Kelli Ferrone wiped blinds and window sills inside her daughters’ elementary school, just a half mile from the devastating Palisades Fire that scorched the coastal enclave in Los Angeles. The cotton swabs and wipes came up black.
There is scattered ash and soot at her feet. Outside, it’s on the ground next to a playground.
Ferrone, who recorded videos and shared them with The Associated Press, wanted to see for herself this week if Canyon Charter Elementary School had been adequately cleaned before the school reopens. She wasn’t impressed.
Weeks after the most intense days of fire across the Los Angeles area, parents are grappling with the reality that toxic ash from burned homes and cars could be harmful to their children. It’s a risk that is becoming more common as wildfires burn in cities….