SACRAMENTO – As property owners begin the process of recovering after last year’s wildfires, there are programs and resources available to help get them back on track. One of those is the State’s Consolidated Debris Removal Program led by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, CalRecycle, and local governments.
Wildfire survivors participating in the Consolidated Debris Removal Program can now access an informational dashboard that provides details of the cleanup progress.
This Debris Operations Dashboard for the 2020 statewide wildfires is updated every hour and provides users with the ability to sort by branch or county via the filters at the top of the page. Users can also search by address via the magnifying glass icon at the top of the map to learn of the debris removal status of their property.
The Debris Operations Dashboard provides real time status reports on wildfire cleanup operations statewide.
For those who have yet to sign up for the opt-in Consolidated Debris Removal Program, they have until February 1, 2021, to sign up for this no-cost program. Survivors can participate by filling out a Right-of-Entry (ROE) form, which grants state-contracted work crews access to their property. Before the debris removal can start, property owners must submit an ROE form to their county.
This deadline has been extended in order to motivate more homeowners with fire-damaged structures and trees in danger of falling on public roads and other infrastructure to participate.
Learn more about the ROE form below:
Q: What is a Right-of-Entry form?
A: It grants the local and state government access to your property in order to clean up after a wildfire.
Q: Is the debris removal free?
A: All initial costs will be paid by state and federal agencies. However, if property owners have insurance that covers debris removal, owners must inform their local officials.
Q: How are properties prioritized for debris removal?
A: Officials will give priority to sites in or near sensitive areas such as watersheds, schools, daycare centers, and health-care facilities. Then, they will identify areas where there are groups of eligible properties.
Q: Should I be present during the cleanup process?
A: Owners do not need to be present but can view the cleanup from a safe distance on their property. Exclusion zones will be established to ensure the safety of the public and workers.
Q: Will debris removal crews be looking for code violations?
A: No. Debris removal crews are on-site to perform specific operations related to the removal of contaminated soil, ash, debris, concrete, and metals.
In August alone, the fires impacted 18 counties statewide, then in September, another 10 counties, with a total of 4.1 million acres burned. Even with record-breaking numbers, cleanup crews are continuing to make progress.
Recovery resources are available at wildfirerecovery.ca.gov where property owners can find direct links to county ROE forms, contact information for each affected county, as well as additional information about the state’s consolidated debris removal program.
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