Health officials lift Ocean Water Advisory for fire impacted beaches

Los Angeles County health officials lifted a months-long Ocean Water Advisory at fire-impacted beaches Wednesday, after testing cleared the ocean water and beach sand as safe for beachgoers.

After the Palisades Fire destroyed over 6,000 structures, health officials issued an advisory for a stretch of beach from Malibu to Santa Monica in late January due to fire debris runoff, which could contain toxic or carcinogenic chemicals.

Testing results from the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board led to the decision to end the advisory. 

Samples from five separate ocean water tests taken from January through March and sediment/ beach sand tests that were taken on two separate dates in February looked for metals, nutrients, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).  Chemicals related to wildfires were not found to be at levels dangerous to human health, the Department of Public Health reported.

"Beachgoers may now enter the ocean water and recreate on the sand in these areas, but they are still advised to avoid fire debris in the water, and to avoid being on beaches on or near burned properties, as the fire debris may contain harmful substances and physical hazards such as glass, metal, and sharp wooden debris," the Department of Public Health said in a statement.

Warnings remain in place for ocean fire debris, which could be hazardous. Areas along the coast burned by the fire have not been completely cleaned up yet, and rising tides can sweep debris into the water.