All Altadena Land Owners Impacted by Eaton Fire Have Turned in Right of Entry Forms

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said at a meeting on Tuesday that every property owner in Altadena impacted by the Eaton Fire has filled out the required Right of Entry forms.

“All property owners have now notified the county of their removal plans,” Barger said at Monday’s meeting. “This is a significant milestone that reflects the commitment and the determination of the Altadena community to rebuild and begin to move forward.”

According to the County’s website, of the 12,048 parcels eligible for cleanup by the Army Corps of Engineers, 10,445 have opted in for cleanup.

Homeowners were required to submit the forms even if they were not using the army to clean up wildfire debris on their property.

The final day to register was April 15. Pasadena Now reported earlier this month that the Army Corps of Engineers would clear debris left behind by property owners that did not fill out the forms.

Those land owners would have received a bill for the cleanup.

Barger said she would soon be introducing a motion that would clear the way for a certification process for local residents in Altadena looking to rebuild their homes.

Barger also announced a self-certification process designed to speed up the rebuild process.

“I want to make sure we are doing everything we can at the County level to support your recovery. You deserve a rebuilding support system that works for you every single step of the way.”

The army has been ramping up its crews in the area to speed up debris removal and allow property owners to move forward in the rebuild stage.

According to Col. Sonny Avichal, there are about 125 to 129 crews working to remove fire and ash debris in the area.

“I think we are headed towards what I call the plateau stage in terms of the number of crews in Altadena,” Archival said.

Archival also reported that just over 2,800 properties have been cleared of debris.

“We also hit another plateau in Altadena, 600,000 tons of debris has been removed. To put that in different terms that is about the equivalent of 60 eiffel towers or six aircraft carriers. Currently the US Army Corp of engineers is clearing about 68 properties of fire and ash debris every day. Over the two months you will see a considerable amount of work take place, the Altadena you see today will look very different.”

Some homes with standing walls and chimneys must be made safe before the debris can be removed.

Under those conditions, the crews must knock down any remaining part of the structure that is still standing before cleanup can begin.

“I am comfortable with our current trajectory and I’m comfortable saying that at this rate, it will be substantially complete late summer, early fall,” he said.

But there are some caveats. Properties that are difficult to access or off the side of a cliff or on the side of a hill will take longer to do and probably will not be completed until after the fall.