Los Angeles County outlines two‑phase debris removal and flood protections as rain nears fire zones

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County supervisors and federal partners on Thursday described a two‑phase program for removing hazardous household materials and fire debris from communities burned in recent wildfires, and outlined flood‑protection steps being deployed ahead of forecast rain.

Chair Catherine Barger said county public works is leading a consolidated debris removal program for areas impacted by the fires and that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to lead the larger phase 2 removal. “LA County Public Works will be the lead agency on debris removal countywide for all areas impacted by fires,” Barger said.

Why it matters: officials warned that ash and burned debris can contain asbestos, heavy metals and other toxic materials; rain could mobilize that material into streets, drains and waterways and pose public‑health and safety risks. The county and its federal partners described steps to stabilize slopes, keep sediment on site, and process hazardous waste before any bulk debris is removed.

County and federal roles and the opt‑in process The county, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers described a two‑step cleanup. EPA is conducting “phase 1,” the removal of household hazardous materials such as paints, batteries, propane tanks and fire‑damaged lithium‑ion batteries. Col. Eric Swenson, recovery field office commander for the Army Corps, said “phase 2” will be private‑property debris removal (PPDR) carried out after hazardous materials are cleared.

Swenson explained that residents who want federal removal will sign a right‑of‑entry (ROE) form. “ROE...is the legal document that residents...will sign allowing the federal government and my agency with our contractors to enter your property for the purposes of private property debris removal,” he said.

Officials urged property owners to opt into the county‑administered program so work can proceed more efficiently; owners may instead hire a private contractor but would still have to follow EPA and other safety policies.

Hazard, safety and staging details EPA incident commander Tara Fitzgerald said assessment teams began work on Jan. 16 and that temporary staging locations have been secured; removal of hazardous materials will begin once staging sites are ready. Fitzgerald said workers use full protective equipment and that operations will pause if winds exceed 30 mph; if residents are present when crews arrive, crews will skip the property and return later.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said the county has pre‑deployed sediment‑control materials and personnel: Santa Anita Racetrack will serve as the Eaton Fire staging area with supplies that include 10,000 K‑rail sections, 350,000 linear feet of compost socks, 30,000 linear feet of straw wattle and 25,000 gravel bags. Santa Monica Airport will be the Palisades staging area with 5,000 K‑rail sections and similar stockpiles. Pestrella said crews are installing K‑rail, sandbags and sediment traps and asked residents to stay clear of response crews.

Storm preparations and public guidance Public Works briefed that a storm system was forecast to arrive Jan. 25–27 with an expected 0.25–0.5 inch of rain and a 10–20% chance of thunderstorms. The agency said it will mobilize 24/7 storm patrols, prepare flood‑control channels and deploy sandbags and K‑rail in burn areas. Public Works advised that, unless a slope behind a home has been inspected and cleared, the safest choice is to avoid remaining in a home with a burned hillside directly above it during heavy rain.

Public health and protective measures Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, emphasized risks from ash and debris and recommended N95 or P100 respirators, gloves, long sleeves and wet cleaning methods rather than leaf blowers. She said surgical and cloth masks are not effective against fine ash and reminded residents that public‑health staff are at reentry checkpoints and disaster recovery centers.

Shelter, funding and recovery help FEMA Region 9 Administrator Robert Fenton Jr. said FEMA has funded EPA and the Army Corps’ initial missions — $175 million for EPA and $550 million for the Corps — and that additional federal assistance is expected. He urged impacted household heads to register at DisasterAssistance.gov and said FEMA had registered nearly 100,000 people and provided more than $36 million in assistance at the time of the briefing. He also said 1,587 households were in transitional sheltering hotels.

Law enforcement and public safety Sheriff Robert Luna provided public‑safety figures: about 14,755 residents remained under evacuation orders; there were 59 arrests since his last update; the overall death toll stood at 23 (17 in the Eaton incident, 6 in the Palisades), and 22 active missing‑person reports remained (17 Eaton, 5 Palisades). Luna said checkpoints remain in place and that curfews for areas that had mandatory evacuation zones remain in effect from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

County actions noted at the briefing Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said the Board of Supervisors took several actions at a recent meeting, including eviction protections for tenants in fire‑impacted areas and temporary adjustments to short‑term rental rules for those affected. Horvath also said the board “read in a motion to retain a consultant with subject‑matter expertise to review evacuation policies and emergency alert notification systems” and moved to secure state and federal resources for emergency response and wildfire prevention.

How to get information or help Officials directed residents to recovery.lacounty.gov and to the fire‑debris hotline, 844‑347‑3332 (844‑FIRE‑DEBRIS). Pestrella also gave a mud‑and‑debris hotline (1‑800‑933‑0930) and a Public Works dispatch number for storm damage reports. EPA’s hazardous materials information is at epa.gov/california‑wildfires.

Quotes from officials “We will provide it for you if you opt in,” Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said of the county‑led debris‑removal service. Col. Eric Swenson urged residents to learn the acronyms they will hear: “USACE,” “ROE,” and “PPDR,” and said the Corps aims to “walk shoulder to shoulder” with residents through the debris mission.

What remains unresolved Officials said some details remain to be finalized: EPA had not yet begun transferring hazardous materials from temporary storage locations and the county is still identifying approved stockpile and disposal sites for different debris streams. County and federal officials urged patience and emphasized that hazardous‑material removal will precede bulk debris removal.

Ending note Officials reiterated that cleanup and recovery will be complex and could take months, and they urged residents to follow public‑safety guidance, register for assistance if displaced, and use official county and federal resources rather than private or unverified contractors or donation sites.