More than 280 Properties Cleared of Woolsey, Hill Fire Debris

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State contractors have removed debris generated by the Woolsey and Hill fires from 283 properties in Los Angeles and Ventura counties whose owners are participating in the state’s Consolidated Debris Removal Program, officials with the Debris Removal Operations Center (DROC) said today.

To date, state crews have cleared eligible burned metal, concrete, ash and debris from 256 properties in Los Angeles County and from 27 parcels in Ventura County.

In addition, state contractors have completed erosion control work on 44 of the cleared properties in Los Angeles County.

DROC officials have submitted final inspection reports for 24 of the Los Angeles County properties and one of the Ventura County parcels where state contractors have cleared debris and installed erosion control measures, paving the way for owners of those parcels to move forward in the rebuilding process.

Under the state program, administered by CalRecycle and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), property owners who opt in incur no direct costs for the removal of eligible debris.  Debris removal operations on the 283 cleared sites followed earlier site assessments, asbestos surveys and, where necessary, asbestos abatements of those properties.

Debris removal officials also reported that contractors have completed site assessments on 912 properties – 812 in Los Angeles County and 100 in Ventura County, including the 283 parcels that state contractors have cleared of debris.  During site assessments of properties whose owners have opted into the state program, contractors document and photograph property lines, the location of septic tanks, the footprints of foundations and ash, as well as objects that pose a hazard or hamper operations such as trees, pools and vehicles.

Contractors also have completed 800 asbestos surveys and 88 asbestos abatements in Los Angeles County, as well as 85 asbestos surveys and nine abatements in Ventura County.  During the asbestos surveys, state contractors canvass each property for asbestos containing materials (ACMs) and collect samples of materials suspected of containing ACMs for testing.  Contractors also may tip chimneys for later removal. If a property does not contain ACMs, debris removal officials schedule it for debris removal. If a property contains ACMs, debris removal officials schedule for an abatement.

Property owners who have submitted ROEs can meet one-on-one with debris removal experts from their respective counties to discuss the status of their ROEs and issues related to their property at the Debris Removal Operations Center (DROC) located at 26610 Agoura Road in Calabasas.  The DROC is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturdays.

Debris officials will notify property owners who have opted in to the state program 24-48 hours prior to the start of debris removal operations on their property.  Property owners may walk the property with crews before work begins.

For more information in Los Angeles County, visit lacounty.gov/LACountyRecovers or call 1-626-979-5370.  For more information in Ventura County, visit www.venturacountyrecovers.org  or call 1-805-504-7869.

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