The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began removing fire debris Tuesday from private properties damaged or destroyed by the January wildfires, hailing the milestone as a major advancement achieved in record time.
“Today we take another step toward rebuilding not just homes and businesses, but hope itself,” FEMA Regional Administrator Bob Fenton said at a news conference at the Eaton Fire burn area in Altadena.
He said the debris-removal process “is about making properties safe, restoring the land and preparing for what comes next.”
FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with L.A. County and impacted municipalities, are moving onto properties of survivors who submitted a form, known as a Right of Entry form, to remove fire-damaged structures such as concrete and metal, ash and hazardous trees.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said the beginning of the so-called “Phase 2” debris-removal work is occurring with “unprecedented” speed, beginning just 35 days since the fires erupted. He said that is twice as fast as the process took following the 2018 Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
According to Newsom, of the thousands of people who have submitted Right of Entry forms allowing the Army Corps of Engineers to clear debris for free from private properties, only 315 people have opted out of the program. Those people will have to hire their own contractors to remove debris.
The governor said “the vast majority of people have decided to get this done for free.”
State, federal and local officials were expected to gather near the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades Tuesday afternoon to mark the start of residential clearance work in that burn area.
During a news briefing Monday, federal officials noted the start of residential debris clearance marked a major milestone in the wildlife recovery process.
“Residents in impacted areas will notice an increase in truck traffic, equipment movement and work crews over the coming days, weeks and months,” said Col. Eric Swenson, commander of the USACE’s Recovery Field Office. “We do ask for your patience and understanding as we work to remove debris and reduce the long-term risk for the entire L.A. County community.”
Right of Entry forms are available at any FEMA Disaster Recovery Center and online at recovery.lacounty.gov/debris-removal/. The deadline to complete the forms is March 31.
Receiving the forms means the Corps will be able to begin clearing debris from residential properties that were destroyed in the blazes, as soon as they are cleared of hazardous materials by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Fenton said more than 7,300 of the forms had been filed as of Monday.
The EPA’s hazardous waste operations are considered Phase 1 of the debris-removal process. Once properties are cleared, residents can choose to allow the Army Corps of Engineers to clear other debris under Phase 2.
The USACE began Phase 2 work last week at five Pasadena Unified School District campuses that were destroyed in the Eaton Fire. According to the agency, debris has been cleared from the Pasadena Rosebud Academy, Franklin Elementary School and Noyes Elementary School.
At the end of the week, debris removal will begin at some schools in Pacific Palisades.
Swenson said the agency will take every precaution such as a water suppression technique to minimize air quality concerns. Additionally, the agencies urge drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to remain alert around work zones and heavy equipment.
“Our goal is to help families take the first steps toward rebuilding by removing fire debris safely, urgently and with responsibility,” Swenson said.
Tara Fitzgerald, EPA Pacific Southwest Incident Commander for the agency’s emergency response to the L.A. wildfires, said that Phase 1 activities include the removal of household hazardous materials such as pesticides, damaged fuels, propane tanks, lithium ion batteries from small scooters to large energy storage systems for homes — any sort of materials that could cause harm to returning residents and workers, who begin Phase 2 of fire debris removal.
She noted the EPA has more than 1,300 personnel and 100 teams on the field conducting Phase 1 work. As of Monday, the EPA has cleared 3,000 parcels of hazardous materials.
The EPA has a goal of completing Phase 1 by Feb. 28 in order to allow Phase 2 activities on more private properties. In order to meet that deadline, Fitzgerald said the agency will open additional staging areas for household hazardous materials at a Will Rogers State Beach parking lot and at the Altadena Golf Course.
Fitzgerald said they do not anticipate opening more staging areas for Phase 1 activities, but the USACE may consider operating additional sites for their activities.
As part of the Army Corps program, Swenson mentioned how the agency can test 6 inches of topsoil to ensure they remove any hazards left by damaged structures or ash left as a result of the fire. If property owners have further questions, he advised they contact the county health department for information on soil testing.
Fitzgerald elaborated that the EPA contracted with Clean Harbors to assist them in packaging and sorting hazardous materials, which is then shipped to permitted facilities. No landfills or recycling centers owned by municipalities are accepting such items — acceptable sites are owned by the state, county or out-of-state, she added.
Phase 2 materials will be sent to facilities approved by CalRecycle or the county, Swenson said. Concrete, wood and metal could be recycled and reintroduced into the supply or markets.
“We do use specialty contractors as needed for things like asbestos,” Swenson said.
Both agencies are implementing several mitigation measures to ensure hazardous materials do not leak or harm the staging area by using several layers of plastic or other materials, deep containers, specialized trucks, among other initiatives.