Army Corps Ramps Up Eaton Fire Debris Removal Operations

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has nearly doubled its debris removal workforce in the Eaton Fire zone over the past week and plans further expansion as recovery efforts intensify, officials announced at a special community meeting Monday, March 10.

Colonel Sonny Avichal told Altadena residents that crews conducting debris removal have increased from 35 to 65 in just one week, with projections to deploy between 80 and 100 crews in the coming weeks.

“We are ramping up operations significantly,” Avichal said during the virtual meeting organized for homeowners and renters whose structures survived the wildfire by Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger.

The Army Corps is moving forward with preparation of the Altadena Golf Course to serve as a temporary debris storage and reduction site, though Avichal noted, “It is not an operation right now, it is only being prepared.”

The facility is “essential for us meeting our goal of debris removal by January, 2026.”

The former golf course facility will process only clean concrete, steel, metal and vegetative debris — not ash or fire debris — to reduce the volume before transferring materials to landfills on larger trucks.

“By reducing the debris and loading it on larger trucks, we will reduce the number of trucks that have to go to the landfill by 50%, thus reducing impacts on traffic as well as improving safety,” Avichal explained.

Officials emphasized that dust mitigation measures will be implemented, including water spray systems on machinery that reduces concrete, multiple air monitoring units on site, and operators wearing personal air monitors.

Noise reduction equipment will be installed as needed, they said.

The Corps has conducted an environmental baseline survey including soil testing and committed to restoring the golf course to its original condition after operations conclude.

The meeting also addressed numerous insurance concerns from residents with standing structures who reported difficulties securing coverage for smoke and ash damage.

Deputy Commissioner of the Consumer Services and Market for the California Department of Insurance Anthony “Tony” Cignarale said that insurance companies should not use a recent court case to deny smoke damage claims, noting that the department’s general counsel had issued a bulletin to insurers on this matter.

“Our general counsel issued a … bulletin to the insurance industry letting them know that there’s these cases out there that some insurers are using to either deny a claim at the front end or not pursue the claim as it should be,” Elli said.

Barger encouraged residents with insurance issues to attend a workshop scheduled for Saturday at John Muir High School in Pasadena from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., where representatives from about 10 insurance companies and Department of Insurance officials will be available.

Cignarale recommended calling the department’s hotline to secure an appointment slot to reduce waiting time.

Dr. Nichole Quick from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported residents who go within 250 yards of disaster debris could potentially be exposed to hazardous substances and might experience more symptoms. Her advice to not go within that range of debris was “advisory,” not an order.

The debris removal deadline for right-of-entry forms is March 31, and impacted residents with ash in their yards can contact the Los Angeles County Public Works Fire Debris hotline at 844-347-3332 for assistance.