LA County Pushes Holdouts to Clear Fire Debris From Properties
This article was originally published April 29, 2025 on laist.com.
L.A. County supervisors on Tuesday approved a measure to push property owners affected by the January firestorm to clear debris.
Why it matters: About 10% of property owners in fire ravaged areas opted out of federal debris clean up and others haven’t responded. L.A. County officials are pushing for clearing of debris because it poses a health risk.
What's next: L.A. County public works officials will give additional notice to the non-responsive and opt-out property owners using telephone, email, or text messages.
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Possible penalties: Los Angeles County Public Works Principal Engineer Chris Sheppard has said previously that if property owners don't initiate debris removal, they could be subject to abatement proceedings. " Someone can't just not respond," he said.
Why now: California and L.A. County officials have set a June 30 deadline for debris removal. Property owners will now have until June 1 to pull a fire debris removal permit.
The backstory: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has more than 200 crews clearing debris and, according to officials, is checking off more than 3,000 properties per month. The corps could clear the majority of debris by the end of June.
