Photo: Mario Tama / Getty Images News / Getty Images
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency crews continued working Thursday to identify and remove hazardous waste from properties ravaged in this month's wildfires, as many residents returned to sift through the rubble of what used to be their homes.
Questions continued to linger about exactly how long it would take for residents to begin the rebuilding process, but county and federal officials said Wednesday the process was being expedited as much as possible. The first phase of the cleanup effort -- the removal of hazardous materials from properties in the burn area -- was underway, with the EPA under demand to complete the work in the Palisades and Eaton fire zones within 30 days.
Status updates on the EPA's work, including an interactive map of individual fire-affected properties, are available online at https://www.epa.gov/ca/2025-california-wildfires.
As that process continued, officials urged affected residents to fill out "Right of Entry" forms to either opt in or out of a free debris-clearance program offered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. According to the county, more than 2,660 people had completed those forms online and opted into the program as of Thursday, with an unknown number also completing the forms in person. County officials said 36 people filed paperwork opting out of the debris removal.
Officials urged other residents to complete the forms as soon as possible, so the Army Corps can quickly begin the debris-clearance work when the EPA completes it work on individual properties, in what is considered Phase 2 of the cleanup work.
Residents have until March 31 to complete the forms, which are available online at recovery.lacounty.gov/debris-removal/ or at any of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Disaster Recovery Centers.
Col. Eric Swenson of the Corps of Engineers said Wednesday morning that he anticipates the vast majority of the debris-clearance work to be completed within a year. He said previous comments about the process taking up to 18 months included potential delays involved with some properties in which ownership could be in question or the resident died.
Swenson said the faster residents completed the Right of Entry forms, the faster the Corps can move in and begin the work once cleared to do so. He said the process isn't necessarily a first-come, first-served system, but if residents delay completing the forms, it could lead to a longer wait time for the work to be performed.
Swenson said he believes at least 80% or more of the affected properties could be fully cleared within a year, with the work likely being completed much faster at many locations. He and other officials urged residents to work with their neighbors in filing the Right of Entry forms, allowing the Corps to work in "clusters" of neighborhoods that would expedite the process.
Barger also said Wednesday the county is working to release a set of guidelines for property owners who would like to put temporary "accessory dwelling units" on their fire-damaged properties, allowing them to live on site while rebuilding work is done. She noted that there are pre-fabricated units available that could potentially be erected on properties quickly, providing a living space for displaced residents who have been staying in hotels or other accommodations.
As of Thursday morning, the Eaton Fire in the Altadena and Pasadena areas was 99% contained after burning 14,021 acres, with repopulation efforts completed. That fire caused at least 17 deaths, while destroying 9,418 structures and damaging 1,073 more.
The Palisades Fire was 96% contained after burning 23,448 acres and killing at least 12 people. The fire destroyed 6,837 structures and damaged 1,017 others.
The Hughes Fire in the Castaic Lake area burned 10,425 acres and was 98% contained as of Thursday.
All evacuation orders have been lifted, with residents only being permitted back into the burn areas.
For the Palisades Fire, residents must obtain an access pass by checking in with law enforcement at the Lot 3 Beach Access, 1150 Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica. Private contractors hired by residents are also being permitted into the burn area.
County public health officials are distributing personal protective equipment to residents returning to their homes in the various burn areas. Authorities urged residents to wear masks, gloves and other protective equipment if they were digging through the rubble, noting the toxic nature of wildfire ash and other debris.
Nightly curfew orders remain in effect from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the burn areas in an effort to restrict access and prevent looting.
The Los Angeles County Office of Medical Examiner has positively identified 18 of the 29 people confirmed dead in the two wildfires. The list can be found at me.lacounty.gov/2025/press-releases/wildfire-update-18-victims- identified-by-medical- examiner/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_te rm=.
FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers are open at UCLA Research Park West, 10850 W. Pico Blvd.; Pasadena City College Community Education Center, 3035 E. Foothill Blvd.; and in Altadena at 540 W. Woodbury Road, to assist homeowners with applying for aid. The center's are open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Pasadena location will close on Saturday, with all of its services shifted to the Altadena center.
FEMA is also operating two other centers to provide assistance to fire victims, including those from the Hurst, Sunset and Hughes fires. Those centers are at:
-- Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center, 5056 Van Nuys Blvd., building B, operating 9:30 a.m to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and
-- Ritchie Valens Recreation Center, 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Pacoima, operating from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 1 to 6 p.m. Saturdays.
The deadline for fire victim to apply for FEMA financial relief is March 10. According to the county, FEMA has already approved more than $54 million in housing and other assistance for 24,575 households. More than 117,200 individuals have registered for FEMA assistance.
The causes of the Eaton and Palisades fires remain under investigation. Both erupted on Jan. 7 as the area was under a red flag warning for critical fire danger due to a historic wind event that saw gusts of 80 to 100 mph.
Multiple lawsuits have been filed accusing Southern California Edison power lines for sparking the Eaton Fire. The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that investigators on the Palisades Fire believe there was a human element to the fire, including the possibility it began with a flare-up of a New Year's Day fire that was believed to have been doused.
By the time all the damage is assessed, the fires are expected to constitute the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.
