After the Fires: A Limited Podcast Series

Available Episodes

3 of 3

Lead in the Environment, an Update
In this limited series, find out what Caltech scientists on campus and at JPL are learning, as they’re learning it. In this episode, learn more about lead that was released into the environment during the Eaton fire. Hear from Caltech scientists who are testing the ash and dust outside and in homes, plus a colleague from Chapman University who is testing soil on properties near the fire. This episode was produced by the Caltech Office of Communications and External Relations and Caltech Academic Media Technologies.Learn more at scienceexchange.caltech.edu. Referenced in episode: Watch the full webinar, Conversations After the Fires: Studying Lead in the Environment, on the Caltech Science Exchange.Produced by Alyce Torrice/Caltech Office of Communications and External Relations © California Institute of Technology, 2025
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28:28
Resiliency and Rebuilding
In this limited series, find out what Caltech scientists on campus and at JPL are learning, as they’re learning it. In this episode, “the Earthquake Lady” Lucy Jones shares how lessons about disaster response and recovery learned from decades as a seismologist apply to the 2025 fires. Hear Jones’s insights into how communities confront events like these and remain resilient. This episode was produced by the Caltech Office of Strategic Communications and Caltech Academic Media Technologies. Learn more at scienceexchange.caltech.edu. Referenced in episode: View lead data from Caltech professor Francois Tissot’s lab at scienceexchange.caltech.edu/lead. Fill out the emergency alert survey at https://www.scsn.org. Clips used: “L.A.'s rock star seismologist heads off to retirement,” March 30, 2016 CBS Evening News “Caltech seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones — aka "The Earthquake Lady" — was in the middle of a news conference about Friday's 5.1 temblor,” March 29, 2014 KTLA 5 News “Dr. Lucy Jones discusses 4.4 quake, biggest to hit LA in 3 years,” August 29, 2018 ABC7 “Volunteer efforts underway for Eaton Fire victims,” January 10, 2025 NBC4LA “Altadena Church that survived Eaton Fire helping community heal,” February 12, 2025 FOX11 Los Angeles “Eaton Fire collaborative introduced,” March 19, 2025 KTLA 5 News Produced by Alyce Torrice/Caltech Office of Communications and External Relations © California Institute of Technology, 2025
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Data in the Immediate Aftermath
In this limited series, find out what Caltech scientists on campus and at JPL are learning, as they’re learning it. In this episode, you’ll hear about the air and soil data scientists collected and analyzed during and after the fires and how that can help us understand potential health risks. This episode was produced by the Caltech Office of Strategic Communications and Caltech Academic Media Technologies, in partnership with the Keck Institute for Space Studies, Resnick Sustainability Institute, and the Linde Center for Global Environmental Sciences.Learn more at scienceexchange.caltech.edu. Resources mentioned: Caltech Post-fire airborne Hazard Observation Environmental Network for Integrated Xposure-monitoring (PHOENIX) real-time map of Altadena/Pasadena air qualityASCENT Network real-time air quality dataAQMD's AQI map (Today's forecast) (Tomorrow's forecast)Fire AirNowClips used: “The City That Disappears,” 1957 Stanford Research Institute via Periscope Film “Air Pollution In LA At Its Worst,” 2014 David Hoffman“Palisades, Eaton Fires grow as crews battle deadly blazes,” January 11, 2025 KTLA5 Los Angeles “ABC TV reporter battles ‘vicious’ winds amid LA fires,” January 8, 2025 ABC NewsProduced by Alyce Torrice/Caltech Office of Communications and External Relations © California Institute of Technology, 2025
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About After the Fires: A Limited Podcast Series

As the Caltech community grappled with loss and uncertainty after the 2025 Los Angeles fires, researchers jumped into action, collecting data as soon as flames erupted.In this series, find out what they are learning, as they are learning it. Hear from scientists and engineers on Caltech's campus and at JPL who lend their expertise and answer questions from the local community.

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