The Eaton Fire’s Impact on The Huntington

Presentation authors: Christina O'Connell and Melissa Mariano

Blogpost Summary by Jennifer Ly

Christina O’Connell and Melissa Mariano shared the continued recovery work at The Huntington following the Eaton Fire. The fire began approximately 4.5 miles from the campus, with damage exacerbated by window and doorway gaps. Due to a window latch failure from the Santa Ana winds, the Huntington Art Gallery experienced the most damage from debris and particulates. 

O’Connell and Mariano described first focusing their efforts on collections and gallery spaces by dust vacuuming and cleaning works with cosmetic sponges. They soon implemented recovery protocols using PVOH borax gel to pick up particulate matter and collecting samples for IH testing. Samples from metals were wiped with ICP-MS, samples surface-lifted by tape were analyzed for particulates though direct microscopy, and vacuum cassettes collected possible combustion products from textiles. The IH testing found initial cleaning efforts had greatly reduced high concentrations of fire residues, although some levels had accumulated unevenly on materials and in different buildings, so more cleaning is necessary moving forward. 

Several challenges appeared, including difficulty dusting cracked crevices with particulates stuck in deep, an uptick in moth activity that led to tapestries requiring anoxia treatment, and elevated levels of zinc they are still attempting to interpret. As The Huntington remains in active recovery, the next steps involve testing collections to both understand the contaminants and evaluate the success of chosen cleaning methods, and improving window and door seals in the Huntington Art Gallery. 

O’Connell and Mariano concluded the talk by advising other institutions to meticulously document photographic and written records in case of insurance needs. They also noted how physically and emotionally draining recovery efforts can be, and therefore emphasized the importance of taking breaks. Finally, they expressed gratitude for the incredible assistance of the conservation community in sharing informational resources and support through recovery clinics.