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Kourtney Kardashian is making it clear—she's not here for fire debris being dumped in her backyard. The reality star and wellness entrepreneur joined a protest in Los Angeles on Thursday, standing alongside locals fighting to stop waste from the recent Palisades Fire from being sent to the Calabasas Landfill.
Holding a sign that read, "Fill our hydrants, not our dumps," Kardashian made her stance known. "We're here to make it known that we're not OK with this," she told reporters when asked why she showed up. She also emphasized that the landfill isn't the right place for the debris, echoing the concerns of residents who fear potential health risks.
© Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagProtesters rallied with signs that read, "Protect our health, protect our space – find a safer better place!" They also chanted, "Calabasas hear our cry, we won't let our children die." Tensions ran high, and one person was arrested during the demonstration.
Officials Say There's No Risk
Despite the community's pushback, officials maintain that the debris is safe. Michael Chee, a spokesperson for the L.A. County Sanitation Districts, stated that multiple agencies, including the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers, have already inspected and certified the waste as "non-toxic, non-hazardous." He also pointed out that the landfill is legally prohibited from accepting hazardous materials, with clear signage at the site confirming that rule.
© Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagStill, for Kardashian and the protesters, it's about more than just what's considered "safe." It's about protecting their space, their families, and their community.
The reality TV personality took to Instagram to share photos of the protest and to pen a letter to the state and city officials. "I went protest today with my incredible friends and fellow Calabasas residents who want to keep Calabasas the most special place to live…it is not a place where toxic and harmful ash should be dumped right next to schools and parks, which could affect our children's health and fertility and so much more," she wrote.
© GC Images"Calabasas has always cared about the environment and the health and happiness of its citizens, with its no smoking rule, plastic bag ban, plastic straw ban and bright sky ordinance (no light pollution so we can see the stars). It is illegal to throw away batteries, for construction sites to dump any harmful asbestos or anything in our Calabasas landfill.
So it seems so mind-blowing that our government officials would actively decide to put hazardous, dangerous and severely unhealthy materials in the heart of a healthy, thriving community that strives to be thoughtful and proactive.
In Calabasas, we are building the largest animal crossing in the state and possibly in the country. This trash site is only about a mile away from a corridor that we are building to ensure the health, well-being and success of animal migration and insurance of not putting our local mountain lions in the threat of extinction and interbreeding. Once again, does this seem to make any sense to you?" she questioned.
© GC Images"To the state and city officials : you have a chance to make a positive intelligent decision about the long term health of this city and of this state. I challenge you to really think about what you were doing and if you would want and toxic waste next to your home, next to your children's school, next to your work, next to your park and your environment that you work so hard to be a part of.
I would like to thank Alicia Weintraub, Protect Calabasas and the Calabasas city officials for their tireless work for doing what's right. This is not a fact of being selfish or not wanting something that you just don't want. This is a fact of sustaining the healthy, unique biome that Calabasas is, and it has always been. We do not want to slow down the Palisades cleanup but to simply have the debris brought to the desert where there are no people in harms way. Thank you for your time!" she concluded.
© GC ImagesThe Palisades Fire: A Growing Concern
The fire that started this whole controversy broke out on January 7, 2025, in Pacific Palisades, rapidly consuming 200 acres in just 24 minutes. Dry conditions and high winds fueled its spread, forcing evacuations and leaving communities devastated.
California's ongoing wildfire crisis has made situations like this all too familiar. With climate change worsening dry conditions and increasing extreme weather events, wildfire seasons are becoming longer and more destructive. The damage from the Palisades Fire alone is expected to cost billions, displacing thousands and leaving neighborhoods in ruins.
© Tiffany RoseAccording to the City of Westlake Village website, the Palisades Fire "is now at 100% containment with a total of 23,448 acres burned."
As debates over cleanup efforts continue, Kourtney Kardashian and her fellow protesters aren't backing down anytime soon.
