Fire Debris Removal | What You Should Know

Yesterday's Town Hall featured Federal, State, County, and City officials and representatives who provided information on the steps that will be taken to safely remove the fire debris from the Palisades Fire. While details were given on the process for removing and containing the debris and hazardous waste (see below), the haul routes and hours for the removal were not identified. However, BHA is actively working to mitigate the impact to Sunset Blvd from vehicle trips related to the recovery effort in the Palisades and advocating for the use of the 10 freeway to the 405 rather than Sunset. We will continue to work with LADOT, Councilwoman Park and the Mayor's office on this issue.

If you have any questions or would like more information on the safety of the fire debris removal, please use the links, phone numbers and emails provided.

Phase One: Removal of Hazardous Waste

FEMA has assigned the EPA to assess, remove, and safely dispose of hazardous materials from all burned areas. EPA teams are trained to deal with hazardous materials and use comprehensive safety equipment. Hazardous materials include many of the common household items are used in your homes such as paint, cleaning supplies, and automotive oils. They also include things like pesticides and herbicides and batteries, including both standard and rechargeable types. Propane tanks and other pressurized fuel containers can pose a risk to people returning to their homes and to the workers who will be doing the phase two work. Fire damaged lithium-ion batteries, which require special handling due to safety and fire risks, are also of concern. This removal of the hazardous materials is a mandatory process for community health. EPA is expected to begin the hazardous material removal early this week. These materials will be put in sealed drums and taken to a designated disposal site. Once Phase One is complete, Phase Two can begin. This will take weeks to accomplish, given the number of structures destroyed.

Any questions? Call the hotline at (833)-R9-USEPA

(833-798-7372) or email EPALAWildfiresInfo@epa.gov.

Phase Two: Removal of Fire Debris

Rather than wait for Phase One to be completed for ALL of the sites, Phase Two will occur on a rolling basis once the EPA has cleared the site of all hazardous materials. It is the county's responsibility, specifically LA County Public Works, to verify property ownership, clear properties for debris removal and prepare them for rebuilding. The County has a robust system for these tasks, drawing on past experiences. For the Palisades Fire, the County has enlisted the aid of the Army Corps of Engineers to remove the fire debris. The process is as follows:

Conduct a 360 site assessment of property to understand the hazards;
Assess any hazard trees that could fall or injure someone and remove them based on an arborist's recommendation;
Remove any recyclable materials such as structural I-beams, structural metal, or propane tanks that are inert. These items will be recycled in accordance with CalRecycle and County guidelines;
Remove the ash and fire debris from burnt belongings. These items will be put in a "burrito wrapped" truck. Burrito wrap is a plastic wrap liner placed inside the truck where the debris is deposited. It is then folded tightly like a burrito so all of the fire ash is contained within a thick plastic bag. A tarp is then put on the truck to hold everything down. The truck will then take it to an appropriate landfill for long-term storage;
The final step is to remove six inches of soil around the ash footprint of the property. This removal addresses any of the hazards that may have fallen below the surface;
To minimize the hazards of debris removal the wet method is used. Before the process starts, the entire site is hosed down to make sure the ash is wet to prevent it blowing in the air. The Army Corps of Engineers will have perimeter air monitors, individual air monitors, and a sensitive sight air monitor to monitor the air quality. This will be shared with public health agencies.