City Council to Hear Update on Eaton Fire Debris Removal and Recovery Efforts

The Pasadena City Council will receive an update on the Eaton Fire debris removal and recovery at Monday’s City Council meeting.

The fire which raged in Altadena and Pasadena is now 100% contained. The scorcher caused at least 17 deaths, destroyed nearly 9,500 structures and damaged more than 1,000 more. In total the fire burned 14,021 acres.

Evacuation orders have been lifted, but only residents and approved contractors are being permitted back into the former evacuation zones.

Authorities urged residents to wear masks, gloves and other protective equipment if they are digging through rubble, noting the toxic nature of wildfire ash and other debris.

County health officials are distributing protective equipment to residents returning to their homes in the various burn areas.

The fire began in Eaton Canyon on Jan. 7 while the area was under a red flag warning for critical fire danger during a wind event that saw hurricane-level gusts that reached 80 to 100 mph.

Crews with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  are working to identify and remove hazardous waste from properties scorched by the fires.

County and federal officials said last week the rebuilding process is being expedited as much as possible. The first phase of the cleanup effort — the removal of hazardous materials from properties in the burn area — was underway, with the EPA tasked with completing the work within 30 days.

Officials continue to urge affected residents to fill out “right of entry” forms to either opt in or out of a debris-clearance program offered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday that more than 4,000 such forms have already been submitted accepting the free property cleanup.

Although the plan is free to local residents, there could be charges to homeowners’ insurance.

Officials urged other residents to complete the forms as soon as possible so the Army Corps can quickly begin the debris-clearance work after the EPA completes its work on individual properties, in what is considered Phase 2 of the cleanup work.

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.

Col. Eric Swenson of the Corps of Engineers said Wednesday morning 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 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 540 W. Woodbury Road, to assist homeowners with applying for aid. The centers are open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The deadline for fire victims to apply for FEMA financial relief is March 10.

The City of Pasadena is set to resume parking enforcement in residential areas on Monday for street sweeping, oversized vehicles, and 72- hour limits.

Enforcement for streets where a permit is required will resume on Feb. 17, and enforcement for overnight parking will resume on March 1.

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.