SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — State officials have submitted final inspections reports to officials in Los Angeles and Ventura counties for 77.97 percent of the 926 properties affected by last November’s Woolsey and Hill fires that are participating in the state’s Consolidated Debris Removal Program, officials at the Debris Removal Operations Center (DROC) in Calabasas reported June 24.
To date, debris officials have submitted 643 final inspection reports to officials in Los Angeles County and 79 to officials in Ventura County. The 643 reports submitted to officials in Los Angeles County represents 77.85 percent of its 826 eligible properties, while the 79 reports submitted to authorities in Ventura County represents 79 percent of its 100 eligible properties. Submission of the final inspection reports clears the way for owners to those properties to begin reconstruction.
During the state’s debris removal operation, contractors conduct site assessments, asbestos surveys and abatements as required for every site. Crews also remove the fire debris, which consists of burnt metal, ash and other burn debris, concrete and contaminated soil. Following this debris removal process, the surveying contractor returns to the site and collects soil samples, which are sent to state certified laboratories for testing.
Once the state certified laboratories verify that the samples taken from the properties meet state environmental health and safety criteria, contractors then install fiber rolls and apply a virgin-based, biodegradable mulch to every cleared property whose owners have opted to have contractors implement the two types of erosion control measures. Following these erosion control measures, state officials and staff conduct a walkthrough of each property to ensure all of the requirements of the state program were completed to the state’s high standard.
Under the state’s Consolidated Debris Removal Program, administered by CalRecycle and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, participating owners incur no direct costs.
To date, state contractors have cleared eligible burned metal, concrete, ash and contaminated soil from 817 properties in Los Angeles County and from 96 properties in Ventura County. The 817 cleared properties in Los Angeles County represent 98.91 percent of its eligible properties. The 96 cleared properties in Ventura County represent 100 percent of the six properties eligible due to the Hill Fire and 90.91 percent of the 99 properties participating because of the Woolsey Fire.
Through June 19, contractors have removed more than 414,764 tons of debris. In Los Angeles County, they have cleared more than 365,563 tons of debris, all related to the Woolsey Fire. In Ventura County, they have cleared more than 49,201 tons of debris, including 698.33 tons generated by the Hill Fire.
State contractors also have:
- Installed fiber rolls and applied virgin-based biodegradable mulch and binder to prevent erosion control on 638 of the cleared properties in Los Angeles County and on 75 of the cleared properties in Ventura County;
- Conducted 918 site assessments in Los Angeles County and 112 in Ventura County;
- Completed 916 asbestos surveys in Los Angeles County and 105 in Ventura County; and
- Abated all 147 properties in Los Angeles County and all 22 properties in Ventura County that contained bulk quantities of asbestos containing materials.
Debris removal experts from Los Angeles County Public Works and the Ventura County Environmental Health Division are available at the DROC from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to meet with property owners who have submitted Right-of-Entry (ROE) permit applications.
Debris officials will notify property owners who have opted in to the state program 24-48 hours prior to the start of debris removal operations on their property. Property owners can meet with crews before work begins.
For more information in Los Angeles County, visit lacounty.gov/LACountyRecovers or call 1-626-979-5370. For more information in Ventura County, visit www.venturacountyrecovers.org or call 1-805-504-7869.