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A leading advocate for 9/11 victims has issued a stark warning that the catastrophic Palisades fire of last year might result in widespread respiratory diseases, potentially paralleling the health crisis that followed the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City.
Michael Barasch, an attorney representing thousands of 9/11 first responders and survivors, has criticized California authorities for inadequately alerting the public about the hazards of inhaling smoke and fumes from last year’s deadly inferno.
“The danger posed by the LA wildfires was well-known, yet there was no directive for residents to use respiratory protection or evacuate,” Barasch stated in an interview with The Post on Wednesday. “Children and adults alike were left vulnerable to these toxins. Our government owes the people of Los Angeles and California the same protections they extend to public safety officers.”
Barasch previously represented James Zadroga, a New York City Police Department officer who succumbed to lung disease at 34, caused by exposure to 9/11-related toxic dust. Zadroga’s passing led to the establishment of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, providing financial support to 9/11 survivors and first responders.
Without proper respiratory protection, Zadroga was exposed to lethal fumes, ultimately costing him his life. Barasch fears a similar fate may await many Palisades fire survivors, unaware of the risks due to insufficient warnings, potentially leading to severe health issues in the future.
The Palisades fire devastated the community there and caused billions in damages. Los Angeles residents suffered the loss of nearly 13,000 homes in the area. Rebuilding in the charred area is still underway.
Barasch, who is a 9/11 cancer survivor himself, said he expects the survivors of the fire to unfortunately experience similar respiratory illnesses as the 2001 tragedy. He blamed California leaders, like Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, for missing the boat on educating residents on how dangerous the fumes from the fires are.
“If you don’t learn from history, you’re condemned to repeat it, right? That’s exactly what’s happening now with the LA wildfires,” Barasch said, referencing the delayed response from New York officials on 9/11 related illnesses.
“Why don’t our legislators admit, ‘we should have told you how dangerous this was?’” he said.
Officials should have told residents who returned after the carnage to wear respiratory protection and have their homes cleaned by professionals.
“What a shame on them for not telling that to the people, because you’re going to see the same respiratory illnesses,” he added.
Barasch said there should also be a fund started for those affected by the Palisades fire, but officials need to at least urge LA residents to be checked out by a doctor for adverse health effects from the toxic fumes.
He’s unsure how large the fund would be — a similar New York fund granted thousands of dollars to 9/11 survivors with cancer — but he “eerily” sees parallels between the 9/11 and Palisades fire effects on survivors.
Barasch cited that certain cancers in New York and lower Manhattan had a 41% higher chance of occurring in survivors, and Los Angeles residents should be granted the chance to find out whether they are at an increased risk.
“Let them have independent studies by doctors and determine which cancers, which respiratory illnesses [people are at risk for],” he said.
“And then you worry about, how much is it going to cost to take care of these people. But there’s a moral obligation to do the right thing. Our government failed us. They didn’t tell us to wear respiratory protection when we went back to our homes, and as a result, people are sick, people are going to die. Mark my words,” Barasch ominously concluded.
Medical experts at the University of California – Los Angeles believe survivors are still dealing with the ramifications of the fires and that they’ve seen adverse effects well after the tragedy.
“This was a catastrophic event that changed much of Los Angeles — its community, its landscape and our health,”said David Eisenman, MD, professor-in-residence at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Fielding School of Public Health.
“We are, not surprisingly, still suffering the consequences in many ways,” he said. “Families have not returned to their homes, and high levels of pollutants remain in communities. It’s a tough place to be a year later.”
May-Lin Wilgus, MD, pulmonologist and associate clinical professor at UCLA Health, said most initial patients were people with preexisting lung conditions who faced exacerbated symptoms from the fires.
But then she saw people months later who did not seek medical care and then experienced worsened symptoms.
“Many individuals who followed up with me six months later also mentioned their symptoms flared with the fires,” she adds. “These patients often had continued exposures — such as returning to smoke-damaged homes or encountering high levels of heavy-metal contamination — so it does seem to be a trigger.”