{"id":453507,"date":"2025-01-17T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-17T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/?post_type=newspack_nl_cpt&p=453507"},"modified":"2026-03-27T09:11:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T16:11:32","slug":"los-angeles-fires-worker-safety-private-firefighting","status":"publish","type":"newspack_nl_cpt","link":"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/_zh\/newsletter\/los-angeles-fires-worker-safety-private-firefighting\/","title":{"rendered":"LA fires bring scrutiny to worker safety, private firefighting"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Foreground
From left: Homeowners Christine Meinders and Sohrab Nafici return to their fire-ravaged neighborhood in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire in Altadena on Jan. 10, 2025. Photo by Jae C. Hong, AP Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\u6392\u7a0b\u5907\u6ce8\uff1a<\/em><\/strong> WhatMatters is taking Monday off to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and will be back in your inboxes Tuesday.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Describing the active wildfires in Southern California as a \u201ccatastrophe at an unprecedented scale<\/a>,\u201d Assembly Speaker \u7f57\u4f2f\u7279\u00b7\u91cc\u74e6\u65af<\/a> of Salinas gathered with dozens of Assemblymembers on Thursday in Los Angeles to introduce new bills<\/a> that seek to quicken rebuilding efforts and lift development restrictions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

California Attorney General Rob Bonta also held an event in L.A. to say that the Department of Justice is looking into reports of price gouging, fraud and \u201cunsolicited low-ball offers on property<\/a>.\u201d Residents can report disaster-related scams here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s dive into issues facing workers who are mitigating the fires and their damage: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cleanup workers:<\/strong> Fire recovery workers are essential after wildfires, but they face a lot of hazards<\/a> including collapsing buildings, exposed electrical wiring and toxic chemicals, write Calmatters\u2019 \u4e9a\u5386\u676d\u5fb7\u62c9\u00b7\u96f7\u8036\u65af-\u7ef4\u62c9\u5fb7<\/a> \u548c \u909d\u5a67<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though the state recently passed laws requiring employers to protect workers from wildfire smoke and prohibit them from forcing workers to be in evacuation zones, there is growing concern that workers won\u2019t be protected during less formal cleanup jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response, labor groups are reaching out to day laborers \u2014 most of whom are immigrants \u2014 to teach them to identify hazards in burned homes with Cal\/OSHA-certified trainers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Private firefighters:<\/strong> While private firefighting in the U.S. dates back to the 1700s, the controversial industry has come under renewed scrutiny this past week<\/a>\u636e CalMatters \u62a5\u9053 \u8d39\u5229\u897f\u4e9a\u6885\u6d1b<\/a>. Often provided by insurers, private firefighters visit the homes of typically wealthy clientele as a fire approaches and take preventive measures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But critics argue these companies create a two-tiered system where the haves get better protection than the have-nots. By law, private firefighters are also supposed to coordinate with local incident commanders, but during the wildfire seasons in 2007 and 2017, there were reports of private firefighters entering disaster zones without proper coordination, which\u00a0confused residents and distracted emergency responders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wildfire newsletter: <\/strong>CalMatters is teaming up with PBS SoCal, LAist and KCRW to offer a free newsletter that delivers new and accurate information about the Southern California fires. Read \u4e00\u4e2a\u7248\u672c<\/a> \u548c \u8ba2\u9605<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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How will a second Trump presidency affect your corner of California?<\/strong> As we approach Inauguration Day, CalMatters is working with public radio partners to gather perspectives across the state. Share your thoughts here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u5173\u6ce8\u4e0d\u5e73\u7b49\uff1a<\/strong> \u6bcf\u4e2a\u661f\u671f\u4e94\uff0c \u52a0\u5dde\u5206\u6c34\u5cad<\/a> \u56e2\u961f\u53d1\u5e03\u4e86\u4e00\u4efd\u5173\u6ce8\u4e0d\u5e73\u7b49\u7684\u653f\u6cbb\u548c\u653f\u7b56\u7684\u65f6\u4e8b\u901a\u8baf\u3002\u9605\u8bfb \u4e00\u4e2a\u7248\u672c<\/a> \u548c \u8ba2\u9605<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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