Monrovia officials outline emergency response, cleanup and damage estimates after January windstorm and fires

Monrovia officials on Tuesday detailed the city’s response to a January windstorm and related wildfires, described ongoing debris‑removal efforts and said an initial damage estimate of $1,051,629 was submitted to regional authorities as the city pursues state and federal reimbursement.

City Manager Dylan Feek told the council that the city activated its emergency operations center, staged generators at pump stations and deployed staff and contract crews for debris removal. “We’ve collected over a thousand yards of large trash debris, which is the equivalent of about 25 full roll off dumpsters,” Feek said.

Feek said the city reported five damaged structures including a house at 450 Sedman Place that burned on Jan. 7 and was red‑tagged. Other impacts included tree falls, an appliance fire and residential structural damage; one multifamily building across from the high school remained red‑tagged as of the briefing.

Feek described repairs needed at the Hillside Wilderness Preserve where emergency dozer lines were installed as a preventive measure; preliminary discussions indicate repair and restoration could meet or exceed $1 million. "We're going to work quick to put together the plan, the bid documents, and even get the preliminary approvals to move forward and repair that work," he told the council.

Feek also described communications and notification work. The city uses subscription tools such as Nixle but is implementing a geographic, non‑subscription alert system called Rave that can push messages to all cell phones within a defined geographic area; Feek said Rave has been configured but staff were not yet ready to use it during the incident. “The city of Monrovia did not issue any evacuation orders,” Feek said, adding that county and regional messages during the event caused confusion about which areas were under orders or warnings.

Residents and council members raised specific public concerns during the meeting. Victor Franco, a resident who had evacuated, praised the Fire and Police departments and urged long‑term community support for neighbors who lost homes. Resident Robert Hansen asked for clearer information about evacuation zone maps and about debris and green‑waste pickup; Feek said the city manager’s newsletter and social media were the primary public channels and that public works crews and additional contractors were working through more than 100 lane miles of streets.

Feek said Athens (the city’s trash contractor) is not performing the extra debris pickup the city is coordinating, and that residents should avoid large, uncontained piles that slow crews. He reiterated guidance to use green bins when possible and to bag small clippings; crews continue to prioritize safe collection and will issue further instructions before forecasted rain.

Councilmembers pressed for after‑action reviews and regional coordination. Councilmember Belden and others recommended using upcoming MAP and neighborhood events to expand emergency‑preparedness outreach and to bring in agencies (Edison, county) for debrief sessions. Several councilmembers also urged the city to examine local resiliency measures — including backup power for critical facilities and clearer channels for residents with access or functional needs to register for direct notification.

Feek said the city filed an initial estimate of $1,051,629 covering emergency protective measures and debris removal and expects a portion may be reimbursed by federal programs. He also said that some reimbursement processes from earlier incidents remain unresolved and that cause determinations and potential litigation (for example involving utility infrastructure) will take time.

The council asked staff to prepare after‑action reports and to add follow‑up items to the directives log, including outreach about debris pickup, clarifying roles with Edison and evaluating Rave notification deployment. Staff said the Planning Commission would be briefed on property impacts and that building officials were expediting inspections for red‑tagged properties to support recovery timelines.

The council thanked staff, first responders, CERT volunteers and community organizations for their response and for donation and shelter coordination with neighboring cities.