One Year After the LA Fires: Recovery, Toxic Soil, and Scams

“Our government has failed us in many ways.” 

A year has passed since the fires in Los Angeles devastated Altadena, CA. Who gets to rebuild? Who stays and who leaves? 

We begin by checking back in with Sal Saucedo, a hairdresser who spoke to us after his home became rubble. He has since planted new roots by opening a hair salon in Mexico City. 

Then we delve deeper into the slow and heartbreaking recovery in Altadena so far with the help of UCLA researcher Silvia González, comedian and Altadena resident Chris Garcia, and environmentalist Isaias Hernandez.

Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa.

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