Crews Nearly Complete Eaton Fire Cleanup Efforts

Nearly all of the damage from January’s deadly Eaton fire has been cleared.

Crews have removed almost 99 percent of ash and debris from properties damaged in the January wildfire, Pasadena Now reported.

As of this week, 5,527 properties, or about 98.6 percent of those enrolled in the Los Angeles County-run debris removal program, have been cleared. Of those, 5,471 properties, or 97.1 percent, have had their rights-of-entry returned, allowing rebuilding efforts to get moving.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Col. Sonny Avichal, who has overseen debris cleanup efforts, gave his final briefing on Monday as work winds down at several major sites. In this next phase, 12 cleanup crews remain at work, though demobilization is underway and is expected to last two more weeks.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have worked in tandem on the debris program. Once properties are cleared, homeowners will be able to start rebuilding with the help of insurance, state disaster grants and federal aid.

Southern California Edison, which allegedly sparked the fire in Altadena with a faulty powerline, is offering residents money through a wildfire compensation fund. The company is currently facing multiple lawsuits from survivors and local governments, including the City of Pasadena, over damages and recovery costs.

The Southern California chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects is among those entities ready to step in to help with reconstruction design efforts, according to LAist. The group of architects has created approximately 200 free individualized plans to help people rebuild after losing their homes as part of its “Rebuild Readiness” effort.

Meanwhile, rebuilding in the Pacific Palisades just got a bit more restrictive after Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order Thursday barring multiple dwellings being built on wildfire-affected properties in the neighborhood, per L.A. Business First. The move, bolstered by a similar state order from Gov. Gavin Newsom, stops any redevelopment that would’ve been enabled by Senate Bill 9, which permits property owners to split their lots into two and build up to four housing units on what was previously one single-family-zoned lot.

As it stands, Los Angeles County has issued 149 rebuilding permits in the affected areas, including 133 in the Eaton fire burn zone and 16 in the Pacific Palisades, according to the county’s permitting progress dashboard.

— Chris Malone Méndez