FEMA Widens Debris Removal Program Beyond Single-Family Homes

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has expanded its debris removal program to also include condominiums and multifamily residential properties affected by the Eaton Fire. Announced during a Friday press conference by Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger, this policy change allows condominium, apartment, and townhouse property owners to participate in the no-cost cleanup efforts previously limited to single-family homes.

Properties that are entirely owned by for-profit entities and don’t have at least one unit that the owner occupies are not included in this expansion and are considered commercial properties, according to government sources.

“FEMA just granted us approval to extend the ROE deadline to April 15th, and this is important for you to note for commercial and multifamily residential properties,” Barger said. “Up until this moment, they were not included in the ROE process and I’m grateful to FEMA for recognizing that we need additional time now that they are going to be allowed to be cleared by the Army Corps.”

The announcement marks a major shift in FEMA’s approach to debris removal in the disaster area.

Initially, the Right of Entry (ROE) program, which allows government contractors to enter private property for debris removal, had focused only on single-family homes, leaving owners of commercial residential properties to handle cleanup themselves.

FEMA Public Affairs Officer Brandi Richard Thompson clarified that the extension primarily targets residential properties within commercial zones.

“We generally do not fund assistance for debris removal for commercial properties,” Thompson said.

Thompson emphasized that while the program has expanded, there are still limitations.

“We will review any additional ones on a case-by-case basis,” she said. “I just want to make sure that that’s clear so that everyone doesn’t think that we are now able to do commercial debris removal because we still are not able to do so.”

Colonel Eric Swenson of the Army Corps of Engineers reported substantial progress in the cleanup effort.

“As of this morning,” Swenson said on Friday, March 28, “we have completed operations on 949 properties in the Eaton Fire-impacted area with final signoffs and debris removal completion reports returned to the County, allowing homeowners to begin that next phase of the recovery,” Swenson said.

The Army Corps has received 7,136 rights of entry forms from the County, with 4,223 of them from the Eaton fire area.

Visible signs of debris have been removed from 1,850 parcels overall, with 1,113 in the Eaton fire zone approaching final completion, Swenson said.

Swenson explained that crews use a “wet method” for debris removal to prevent cross-contamination between properties.

“We spray the property down before we get there with water and as we do debris removal and we put that fire ash and debris in lined trucks, it enters those trucks wet or moist that keeps any fugitive dust from escaping and keeps it down,” he said.

County officials emphasized that all properties within the fire zone must eventually have debris removed, either through the government program or by private contractors.

Angela George-Moody, Chief Deputy Director of LA County Public Works, stressed the advantages of the government program.

“If you don’t take action by April 15th, you alone will be responsible for managing and paying for the debris removal,” George-Moody said. “Please take advantage of this assistance.”

Over 12,000 properties are eligible for the debris removal program, with approximately 6,000 in the Altadena area. As of the press conference, 9,924 Right of Entry forms had been submitted, with 1,026 properties opting out of the government program.

Many residents have expressed confusion about insurance coverage for debris removal. Colonel Swenson addressed these concerns, explaining that the government program removes fire ash, debris, six inches of topsoil, hazardous trees, and burned vehicles. Other items like fences, pools, and driveways are not included but can be addressed using insurance funds for debris removal.

“This is the best program that probably the federal government offers in a disaster because I come and take all of the eligible debris and whatever policy you have, if your insurance company says that’s debris, you can use your money for that and the government collects theirs last,” Swenson said.

Barger also highlighted ongoing challenges with the permitting process for rebuilding homes.

“Of the 23 applications approved by regional planning and submitted to public works for building permits, only two have been approved,” she said. “These numbers are simply not acceptable. We must move faster with a sense of urgency.”

She announced plans to introduce a motion at the upcoming Board of Supervisors meeting “to cut through the red tape so the County departments can pick up the pace.”

Barger also noted an announcement from California’s governor regarding infrastructure improvements.

“Yesterday, the governor made a critical announcement that will greatly accelerate the restoration and the modernization of the utilities and infrastructure that serve this community,” she said. The executive order creates opportunities to pursue undergrounding electrical distribution lines in Altadena, expanding municipal sewers, and bringing in high-speed fiber backbone lines.

While the ROE deadline has been extended to April 15th, Thompson emphasized that other important deadlines remain unchanged. FEMA assistance registration, Small Business Administration disaster loans, and disaster unemployment assistance applications all still must be submitted by March 31st.