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Toxic Homes, Terrible Dilemma: Oscar Contender ‘Still Standing’ Documents Homeowner Nightmare After LA Wildfires – SFFILM Doc Stories
Still Standing, an Oscar-contending documentary by Víctor Tadashi Suárez and Livia Albeck-Ripka, examines the health risks faced by Altadena residents whose homes survived the January 2025 Eaton fire but were left contaminated by toxic ash. It highlights the dilemma of whether to return when insurers may consider homes habitable, despite concerns about exposure.
The directors filmed inside affected homes wearing hazmat suits and masks, and interviewed more than two dozen residents, researchers and environmental consultants over six months. They filmed in more than a dozen homes, where belongings and holiday decorations remained as residents navigated uncertainty and insurance claims. The film won documentary and cinematography awards and is due to premiere online on 19 November as part of PBS’s POV series.
In short
- A documentary examines toxic ash in homes left standing after the Eaton fire.
- Residents faced uncertainty over health risks and insurance decisions.
- Still Standing premieres online on 19 November via PBS’s POV.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Returning home may be necessary for residents who cannot afford prolonged displacement, and an insurer’s habitability assessment can offer a practical basis for resuming ordinary life. The documentary’s attention to contamination risks can help residents make informed choices and press for clearer testing and support.
The case against
A home that appears habitable may still contain harmful contaminants, so returning before risks are properly assessed could endanger residents’ health. Insurers’ assessments may not resolve that uncertainty, and residents should have access to reliable testing and adequate help before being expected to move back.
Explained simply
The Eaton fire was one of the wildfires that swept through the Los Angeles area in January 2025. In Altadena, some houses remained standing, but ash and fire debris raised concerns about possible toxic contamination inside them.
Residents faced a difficult choice: return to homes that insurers might regard as fit to live in, or stay away because of health concerns. Insurers, residents and environmental researchers can assess the risks differently, while the cost and coverage of cleaning up may affect what homeowners can do.
The issue matters because a house can look intact while still containing hazards that are hard to see. It also raises questions about how residents can get clear information and make decisions when safety, insurance and returning home are intertwined.