Los Angeles County urges fire victims to submit right-of-entry forms as EPA, Army Corps begin cleanup

Los Angeles County officials at a press conference urged residents affected by recent fires to submit right‑of‑entry forms to join a government‑managed debris removal program and outlined how U.S. and county agencies will handle hazardous materials, general debris and rebuilding permits.

Chair Kathryn Barger of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is leading phase 1 of cleanup and that more than 600 residents had already submitted opt‑in forms in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. "These forms are a critical step to get debris cleared off residential properties, so residents can begin rebuilding," Barger said.

The county said the cleanup proceeds in two phases. Mark Pestrella, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, said phase 1 is mandatory and led by the EPA: "This phase is mandatory for all affected properties. There is no opt in or opt out for this option for this program." He gave the EPA contact as 1‑833‑798‑7372 and epalawildfiresinfo@epa.gov.

Phase 2 — general debris removal — will be managed in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Los Angeles County Public Works. Col. Eric Swenson, recovery field office commander for the Army Corps, said crews are standing by and that actual removal timing depends on how quickly the county turns ROEs over to the Corps.…