logo
How to opt in for free wildfire cleanup before April deadline

How to opt in for free wildfire cleanup before April deadline

CBS News14-04-2025

Los Angeles County residents have until April 15 to opt in or out of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' free wildfire debris removal program.
Officials extended the signup deadline to April 15 after adding commercial and multi-family residential properties to the list of eligible residents. So far, the county has received roughly 8,640
right-of-entry forms
, allowing the corps to clean up local
properties
.
Residents can also opt out of the program and hire a contractor to remove the wildfire debris. No matter which option an individual chooses, they must submit
paperwork
. If officials do not receive a form from a property owner, the government will clean up the debris to "protect public health and safety." In this case, the resident will have to pay for the full cost of the work and a lien may be placed on the property.
LA County officials said someone's insurance status will not impact their eligibility for the government-sponsored program.
The Army Corps of Engineers expect the wildfire cleanup to finish in January 2026.
Anyone with questions about the program can contact the Debris Call Center between 6 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. at (213) 308-8305. Residents can also find help through the wildfire recovery website,
recovery.lacounty.gov
,
or through the following resources:

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

50 trucks will spend 5 months transporting Lahaina wildfire debris to a Maui landfill
50 trucks will spend 5 months transporting Lahaina wildfire debris to a Maui landfill

San Francisco Chronicle​

time2 hours ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

50 trucks will spend 5 months transporting Lahaina wildfire debris to a Maui landfill

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Fifty trucks will spend five months hauling Lahaina wildfire debris to a landfill in the center of Maui starting next Monday, Maui County said. There's enough debris to fill five football fields five stories high. About two years ago the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century killed 102 people and turned vast stretches of Lahaina into burned rubble. The trucks are expected to make multiple trips each day moving the debris from Olowalu, a town south of Lahaina, to the Central Maui Landfill about 19 miles (30 kilometers) away, the county said in a statement. Part of the route follows a winding, two-land coastal highway. The trucks will travel on former sugar cane plantation roads for portions to limit traffic disruption. For safety reasons, crews will only work during the day. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished clearing Lahaina properties earlier this year but it's had to temporarily store the debris at a former quarry on state-owned land in Olowalu while authorities searched for longer-term solution. In December, the Maui County Council approved acquiring privately owned land next to Maui's existing landfill for a permanent disposal site. Handling debris after large wildfires is always a logistical challenge. It took Paradise, California, officials about a year to transport more than 300,000 truck loads of debris to three different landfills after the 2018 Camp Fire killed 85 people and burned most of the town. Maui County said it evaluated the debris with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Hawaii Department of Health and determined transporting and storing it at the landfill didn't post a public health risk. Workers will lightly wet it before loading it onto trucks to control dust. The debris will be wrapped in thick plastic sheets. In total, it weighs about 400,000 tons (363,00 metric tons). Some Olowalu residents were worried the debris would stay in their community permanently, potentially desecrating Native Hawaiian shrines, ancient burial sites and offshore coral reefs and marine life. Most of the steel and concrete left behind by the fire was to be recycled. Much of the debris heading for the landfill is ash and small particles, which state Department of Health tests found had arsenic, lead and other toxins.

50 trucks will spend 5 months transporting Lahaina wildfire debris to a Maui landfill

time3 hours ago

50 trucks will spend 5 months transporting Lahaina wildfire debris to a Maui landfill

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Fifty trucks will spend five months hauling Lahaina wildfire debris to a landfill in the center of Maui starting next Monday, Maui County said. There's enough debris to fill five football fields five stories high. About two years ago the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century killed 102 people and turned vast stretches of Lahaina into burned rubble. The trucks are expected to make multiple trips each day moving the debris from Olowalu, a town south of Lahaina, to the Central Maui Landfill about 19 miles (30 kilometers) away, the county said in a statement. Part of the route follows a winding, two-land coastal highway. The trucks will travel on former sugar cane plantation roads for portions to limit traffic disruption. For safety reasons, crews will only work during the day. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished clearing Lahaina properties earlier this year but it's had to temporarily store the debris at a former quarry on state-owned land in Olowalu while authorities searched for longer-term solution. In December, the Maui County Council approved acquiring privately owned land next to Maui's existing landfill for a permanent disposal site. Handling debris after large wildfires is always a logistical challenge. It took Paradise, California, officials about a year to transport more than 300,000 truck loads of debris to three different landfills after the 2018 Camp Fire killed 85 people and burned most of the town. Maui County said it evaluated the debris with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Hawaii Department of Health and determined transporting and storing it at the landfill didn't post a public health risk. Workers will lightly wet it before loading it onto trucks to control dust. The debris will be wrapped in thick plastic sheets. In total, it weighs about 400,000 tons (363,00 metric tons). Some Olowalu residents were worried the debris would stay in their community permanently, potentially desecrating Native Hawaiian shrines, ancient burial sites and offshore coral reefs and marine life.

50 trucks will spend 5 months transporting Lahaina wildfire debris to a Maui landfill
50 trucks will spend 5 months transporting Lahaina wildfire debris to a Maui landfill

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

50 trucks will spend 5 months transporting Lahaina wildfire debris to a Maui landfill

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Fifty trucks will spend five months hauling Lahaina wildfire debris to a landfill in the center of Maui starting next Monday, Maui County said. There's enough debris to fill five football fields five stories high. About two years ago the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century killed 102 people and turned vast stretches of Lahaina into burned rubble. The trucks are expected to make multiple trips each day moving the debris from Olowalu, a town south of Lahaina, to the Central Maui Landfill about 19 miles (30 kilometers) away, the county said in a statement. Part of the route follows a winding, two-land coastal highway. The trucks will travel on former sugar cane plantation roads for portions to limit traffic disruption. For safety reasons, crews will only work during the day. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished clearing Lahaina properties earlier this year but it's had to temporarily store the debris at a former quarry on state-owned land in Olowalu while authorities searched for longer-term solution. In December, the Maui County Council approved acquiring privately owned land next to Maui's existing landfill for a permanent disposal site. Handling debris after large wildfires is always a logistical challenge. It took Paradise, California, officials about a year to transport more than 300,000 truck loads of debris to three different landfills after the 2018 Camp Fire killed 85 people and burned most of the town. Maui County said it evaluated the debris with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Hawaii Department of Health and determined transporting and storing it at the landfill didn't post a public health risk. Workers will lightly wet it before loading it onto trucks to control dust. The debris will be wrapped in thick plastic sheets. In total, it weighs about 400,000 tons (363,00 metric tons). Some Olowalu residents were worried the debris would stay in their community permanently, potentially desecrating Native Hawaiian shrines, ancient burial sites and offshore coral reefs and marine life. Most of the steel and concrete left behind by the fire was to be recycled. Much of the debris heading for the landfill is ash and small particles, which state Department of Health tests found had arsenic, lead and other toxins.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store