From Ashes to Action: L.A. Fire Recovery Enters New Phase
Six months after several devastating wildfires swept through Los Angeles County, debris removal has entered the home-stretch, while businesses, utilities and homeowners take the first steps toward rebuilding.
Since the days following the Eaton and Palisades fires, which began January 7, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on behalf of the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been steadily working to clear ash and fire debris across the Eaton and Pacific Palisades burn areas. To date, FEMA has approved $3 billion for the cleanup and other aid to survivors—but it’s still a drop in the bucket compared to the estimated $130 billion in damage attributed to the fires.
The Corps cleared its first property—a charter school used by the Pasadena Unified School District—on February 11. “So just over a month after the fire started, we had our first property cleared,” Col. Eric Swenson told ENR during an exclusive tour of the Eaton fire cleanup on June 17.
Read more from Scott Blair and L.L. Poirier on the ongoing recovery efforts following the Palisades and Eaton fires at RECORD’s sister site, ENR.com.
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