Federal Crews Begin Removing Millions Of Tons Of Wildfire Debris Tuesday

LOS ANGELES, CA — Federal crews on Tuesday will begin removing millions of tons of debris from private properties damaged or destroyed by Los Angeles County's January wildfires, officials announced Monday.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will work with LA County and impacted cities, including LA, Pasadena and Malibu, to remove fire-damaged materials like concrete and metal, ash, hazardous trees and other debris.

The cleanup effort is massive: The January fires collectively generated 4.5 million tons of waste — which is nearly equal to half of the 11 million tons the county generates in a typical year, according to county Public Works Director Mark Pestrella.

The development marks the start of Phase 2 of cleanup work after the Palisades and Eaton Fires. Phase 1 involves crews from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency entering properties to remove toxic materials like batteries and propane tanks. Once individual properties have been cleared of hazardous materials, the properties will be open for Phase 2: the removal of larger debris.

Tuesday's start of Phase 2 does not mean all properties have been cleared of hazardous materials; work on both phases will continue simultaneously, Gov. Gavin Newsom said earlier this month.

More than 1,300 EPA personnel had cleared 3,000 parcels of hazardous materials as of Monday, according to the agency.

The EPA hopes to complete Phase 1 by Feb. 28. The agency has opened controversial debris processing sites, including at the Will Rogers State Beach parking lot, in order to facilitate its work, incident commander Tara Fitzgerald said.

• Read more: Toxic Wildfire Waste Will Be Processed At Will Rogers Beach, Despite Local Concerns

Both the hazardous materials mitigation and the removal of larger debris are free for residents, but residents must opt into Phase 2 by completing Right of Entry forms. Alternatively, residents can hire contractors to complete larger debris removal.

Over 7,000 people have completed the forms so far, FEMA Regional Administrator Robert Fenton said.

The Army Corps has already started Phase 2 work at five Pasadena Unified School District schools that were destroyed in the Eaton Fire. Debris has been cleared from the Pasadena Rosebud Academy, Franklin Elementary School and Noyes Elementary School, official said.

Debris removal is slated to begin at schools in the Palisades at the end of the week.

"Residents in impacted areas will notice an increase in truck traffic, equipment movement and work crews over the coming days, weeks and months," the Army Corps' Col. Eric Swenson said. "We do ask for your patience and understanding as we work to remove debris and reduce the long-term risk for the entire LA County community."

Swenson said they 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.

The agency can test six 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, Swenson advised they contact the county health department for information on soil testing, he said.

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, Fitzgerald said.

Phase 2 materials will be sent to facilities approved by CalRecycle or the county. Concrete, wood and metal could be recycled and reintroduced into the supply or markets. Specialty contractors handle materials 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.

Newsom hailed the fire debris removal process, which his office said began 35 days after the fires ignited — roughly half the time it took to start similar operations after the devastating 2018 Woolsey Fire.

"The speed of this cleanup is unprecedented, and it's a testament to local, state, and federal government's commitment to getting families back on their feet as quickly as possible," Newsom said in a statement.

City News Service contributed to this report.