The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has officially begun its “Phase 2” wildfire-debris removal effort Wednesday at two Pasadena Unified School District campuses that were destroyed in the Eaton Fire.
The announcement Tuesday marked a key milestone in the wildfire recovery effort, which began with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency engaging in Phase 1 of the process — removing household hazardous materials from destroyed and damaged structures.
While that Phase 1 process is continuing, Phase 2 debris removal will move forward at properties that have been cleared by the EPA.
“Beginning Phase 2 means we’re making tangible progress toward recovery,” Col. Eric Swenson, the Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles Wildfires Recovery Field Office commander, said in a statement. “Our teams are working with urgency and care to remove hazardous debris while ensuring the safety of the community, workers and the environment.”
Phase 2 involves clearing fire-damaged properties of hazardous ash and debris.
The sites being cleared to begin Phase 2 are the campuses of Loma Alta Elementary School in Altadena and Edison Elementary in Pasadena.
“The safety of our students and staff is our top priority,” PUSD Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said in a statement. “This debris removal effort will allow us to begin the recovery process with confidence, and we are grateful for the support from (the Corps of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency) and our local partners.”
Corps of Engineer officials said the Phase 2 operations will expand in the coming weeks to include residential properties destroyed by the Eaton and Palisades fires. According to the Corps, if the EPA determines that a property is still unsafe to enter due to hazardous materials, they will be labeled as “deferred,” and Army crews will work to render them safe to allow the cleanup efforts to move forward.
The cleanup efforts have sparked criticism from some residents concerned about the sites being used to process hazardous materials being removed from destroyed properties by the EPA.
Residents, however, are being allowed to return to their properties, along with contractors and utility workers, as they assess damage and determine how to move forward. A nightly curfew for the burn areas remains in effect from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Checkpoints restricting access to the fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades remain in place. Returning residents and authorized contractors are being given access to the Palisades Fire burn area with access passes, which are now being distributed by law enforcement at the Disaster Recovery Center in West Los Angeles, 10850 Pico Blvd., and at the West Los Angeles Civic Center, 1645 Corinth Ave. Passes can be obtained daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Red Cross and county health officials have been distributing personal protective equipment to people heading for the burn area, and authorities urged people to wear protection as they sift through the potentially hazardous debris.
Pacific Coast Highway was reopened between Santa Monica and Malibu on Monday, but a stretch of the roadway was closed again Monday due to fears of possible debris or mud flows caused by two storms bearing down on the region. PCH will remain closed until at least Friday between Chautauqua Boulevard in Los Angeles and Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu.
Both the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire in the Altadena and Pasadena areas, which erupted on Jan. 7, are now fully contained, according to CalFire.
Another Southland blaze that broke out later in January, the Hughes Fire in the Castaic Lake area, burned 10,425 acres and was fully contained Friday, the agency said.
The Eaton Fire caused at least 17 deaths, destroyed 9,418 structures and damaged 1,073 more while burning 14,021 acres.
Repopulation efforts there have been completed.
At least 12 people were killed in the Palisades Fire, which burned 23,448 acres, destroyed 6,837 structures and damaged 1,017 others.
The cause of both fires, which began while the region was under a red flag warning for critical fire danger due to a historic wind event that saw gusts of 80 to 100 mph, remains under investigation.
The Los Angeles County Office of Medical Examiner has positively identified 18 of the 29 people confirmed dead in the two wildfires. The list can be found at me.lacounty.gov/2025/press-releases/wildfire-update-18-victims- identified-by-medical- examiner/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_te rm=.
Questions continued to linger about exactly how long it would take for residents to begin the rebuilding process. The EPA’s Phase 1 cleanup has been directed to complete that work within 30 days.
Status updates on the EPA’s work, including an interactive map of individual fire-affected properties, are available online at epa.gov/ca/2025- california-wildfires.
Officials urged fire-affected residents to fill out “Right of Entry” forms to either opt in or out of the free Phase 2 debris-clearance program offered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Residents have until March 31 to complete the forms, which are available online at recovery.lacounty.gov/debris-removal/ or at any FEMA Disaster Recovery Center.
Swenson said previously that he anticipates the vast majority of the debris-clearance work to be completed within a year. He said previous comments about the process taking up to 18 months included potential delays involved with some properties in which ownership could be in question or the resident died.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said the county is working on a set of guidelines for property owners who would like to put temporary “accessory dwelling units” on their fire-damaged properties, allowing them to live on site while rebuilding work is done. She noted there are pre-fabricated units available that could potentially be erected on properties quickly, providing a living space for displaced residents who have been staying in hotels or other accommodations.
FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers are open at UCLA Research Park West, 10850 W. Pico Blvd., and in Altadena at 540 W. Woodbury Road, to assist homeowners with applying for aid. The center’s are open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FEMA is also operating two other centers to provide assistance to fire victims, including those from the Hurst, Sunset and Hughes fires. Those centers are at:
— Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center, 5056 Van Nuys Blvd., building B, operating 9:30 a.m to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and
— Ritchie Valens Recreation Center, 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Pacoima, operating from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 1 to 6 p.m. Saturdays.
The deadline for fire victims to apply for FEMA financial relief is March 10. According to the county, FEMA has already approved more than $54 million in housing and other assistance for 24,575 households. More than 117,200 individuals have registered for FEMA assistance.
The Rev. Al Sharpton announced that he will travel to Pasadena on Thursday to lead a noontime memorial service and rally for victims of the devastating Los Angeles County wildfires. The civil rights leader will appear with attorney Ben Crump, who represents relatives of several Southern Californians killed in the blazes.
The service will be at First AME Church at 1700 N. Raymond Ave. in Pasadena, and will also include Pastor Larry Campbell.
Multiple lawsuits have been filed accusing Southern California Edison power lines for sparking the Eaton Fire. The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that investigators on the Palisades Fire believe there was a human element to the fire, including the possibility it began with a flare-up of a New Year’s Day fire that was believed to have been doused.
By the time all the damage is assessed, the fires are expected to constitute the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.
The UCLA Anderson Forecast released a report Tuesday estimated that the two fires caused property damage and capital losses ranging between $95 billion and $164 billion, with insured losses at $75 billion.
AccuWeather last month issued a revised estimate putting the damage and economic losses at between $250 billion and $275 billion.