On the Frontlines of Risk: Lessons from Informal Outdoor Workers After the 2025 Eaton Fire

Executive Summary

Wildfires are reshaping labor conditions for California’s outdoor workforce. Prior disasters have exposed unsafe working conditions, wage violations, and policy exclusions for outdoor workers, particularly immigrant workers who participate in post-disaster response. This brief presents the first findings from an ongoing research study conducted in partnership with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) that examines the experiences of day laborers and outdoor workers who engaged in cleanup and recovery activities following the devastating January 2025 Eaton Fire in Los Angeles.

Drawing on in-depth interviews with outdoor workers who participated in post-fire worker safety training, we document the following patterns, which reflect a persistent structural flaw in disaster recovery systems. These patterns have several long-term consequences for thousands of California workers and their families, including sustained income instability, prolonged exposure to hazardous conditions, and increased health and economic risks:

1. Post-fire employment was precarious and informal, limiting wage stability, reducing accountability for worker protections, and increasing the risk of wage theft.
2. Work and income loss was compounded by immigration enforcement and deepening financial insecurity for workers and their families.
3. Workers faced hazardous exposures both at work and home, raising health risks beyond typical occupational settings and increasing the potential for long-term health impacts and extended recovery times.
4. Inconsistent safety training and PPE access resulted in uneven protection and left workers vulnerable to preventable occupational hazards.
5. Mental health impacts reflect structural stressors, contributing to sustained psychological stress beyond the immediate disaster period.
6. Community organizations filled institutional gaps, placing critical recovery functions onto under-resourced organizations.

Based on these findings, we recommend the following to strengthen worker protections during disaster response and recovery:

1. Strengthen labor oversight during disaster recovery.
2. Require comprehensive worker protection plans for wildfire debris cleanup.
3. Establish disaster income stabilization programs for informal workers through trusted community-based partnerships.
4. Integrate behavioral health protection into disaster workforce recovery.