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County says Park and Thompson fire debris removal nearly complete; state to pay most costs
Summary
Butte County staff reported that state and county debris‑and‑hazard‑tree programs have cleared nearly all structural debris from the Park and Thompson fires; Cal OES removed most materials and the state approved a 90% cost share (county share reduced to 10%).
County officials told the Board of Supervisors on July 29 that debris removal operations stemming from the Park and Thompson wildfires have reached substantial completion and that state‑administered programs removed structural debris from most affected properties.
Deputy CAO Danielle Newsom said the fires damaged or destroyed 457 properties; 422 required structural debris or hazard‑tree removal. Cal OES began operations in October 2024 following an application and approval process; state and federal debris programs removed structural debris from the vast majority of impacted properties. As of the report, all but two property lots had had structural debris removed; hazard‑tree removal has been completed on about 72 of roughly 95 properties with hazard trees still pending and some 100 properties remain in follow‑up stages such as soil sampling, re‑scraping and erosion control.
Newsom said the county had requested a larger state cost‑share earlier in the recovery and, as of September (of the prior reporting period), the state approved reducing the county’s cost share to 10% of the cleanup cost for the debris removal program. She described the county’s operations to stand up local alternative programs while state approval for the government‑sponsored program was pending, and thanked staff across public works, employment and social services, public health and development services for coordinating survivor support, temporary assistance and the multi‑agency response.
The board viewed a short recovery video compiled with survivor interviews and county staff footage. Several survivors who participated said removal of debris and hazard trees was a crucial step toward rebuilding and provided emotional relief.
Newsom said Cal OES expects remaining hazard‑tree assessments and removals to wrap up in the coming weeks, and the state reported completion timelines for remaining soil and erosion‑control work. The county continues to work with survivors on permitting, rebuilding and access to assistance programs. Newsom said about 100 properties remained in follow‑up technical stages and that the county will monitor completion progress.
Board members thanked staff and volunteers for recovery work and asked about state reimbursement and the county’s financial exposure; Newsom confirmed the county’s share had been reduced to 10% under the approved program and that remaining operations would be coordinated with Cal OES.
