Lets break down
Debris Removal
If you want to track the status of all the parts of debris removal at once, have a look at our map here.
*This information has been checked for accuracy and non-bias by licensed contractors, licensure experts, and representatives of certified 501c3’s that specialize in Wildfires in California.
Available sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
Step 1:
The EPA does “Phase One” Debris Removal
They take “hazardous and toxic materials”, which sounds terrifying but actually refers mostly to things like propane tanks, batteries, spray paint cans, etc. Things that could explode or contain toxic substances. These are bagged up, sealed, and transported to a closed area for sorting, then sealed and transported to the appropriate disposal facilities. The EPA has clarified that there is NO danger to the public from any part of their work in this regard.
*The source for this information is the EPA directly during our interview with them.
This phase is done!
From here, it becomes a bit of a “choose your own adventure” depending on your insurance and choices.
Step 2:
Check what your insurance will cover
If you have insurance, review your policy to see if you specifically have a line item for “Debris removal” coverage. This will dictate how you can move from here.
A few ways to check:
Search your policy
Pop open a pdf of your insurance policy and keyword search “debris removal”. Read your coverage closely.
Ask AI to translate
Drop your policy into ChatGPT or Gemini and ask it the following prompt: “Review my policy and tell me what debris removal coverages I have in the event of a wildfire if my property is a ____ (“total loss”, “partial loss”, etc.)
Then Confirm with your adjuster
Email your insurance adjuster (so it’s in writing) and ask them what your debris removal coverages are, and how that payout works. It’s good to know if it’s an “incurred cost”, ie. if you’ll have to pay for it and then seek reimbursement, or if you can send your insurance the invoice from the contractor and have them pay it directly.
GET EVERYTHING YOUR ADJUSTER SAYS IN WRITING.
Step 3:
Opt In or Out of the Army Corps of Engineers “free” debris removal program (by March 31st)
The Army Corps of Engineers will remove *some of the debris and soil from your burn site. It’s important to be aware of what they will and won’t take so you can make arrangement for the removal of your remaining debris, and plan your insurance claims/billing appropriately.
Note:
It is advisable to take pictures of your flatwork before debris removal, after debris removal and after construction. This evidence of any damage will be needed to file for any reimbursements.
It is advisable to be present at your property during this process so you can advise what you do or don’t want taken. If you “opt in”, the ACOE will call you up to 3 days before they arrive, and they prefer that you are present.
It’s very useful to read through the County’s debris removal program FAQs. You can find them here.
FYI
What the ACOE will take:
Burned Structures
Including houses, buildings and sheds that are over 120 square feet
Chimneys
All brick and related elements.
3-6” inches of soil
From the burned structure area, aka the earth directly beneath and near the above mentioned structures.
Hazardous Trees
The ACOE has employed licensed arborists to determine which trees are dead, likely to fall, or dangerous to their teams. These trees have been marked and will be removed. (If you want a second opinion try Altadena Green.)
Your Foundation
IF you specifically ask them to in your ROE form. *See the next section for more on foundations.
Hazardous Materials
Anything the EPA left behind because the property was too dangerous to access will be taken by the ACOE.
What the ACOE will NOT take:
Smaller Structures
They do not take any structures smaller than 120 square feet.
Soil from the rest of your property
The recommendation from soil scientists is 3” of additional soil removal from the remainder of your burned property. The ACOE does not do this.
Tree Stumps
They will cut down trees they deem to be hazardous, and will leave stumps.
“Flatwork”
Aka driveways, walkways, pathways, etc.
Swimming Pools
They will, however, use your pool water to spray down the debris dust, so they ask that you leave your pool full until their work is complete.
Retaining Walls
Walls and other concrete or stonework that were damaged by the fires will not be taken.
Burned Fencing
If you have piles of burned fencing, they will not take these.
Patios
These do not qualify for ACOE removal.
Things you don’t want them to take
You have the right to be there during this process, (the ACOE actually prefers that you are), and to dictate things you want them to leave in place.
Foundations
Many folks are wondering whether or not to have their foundations removed and rebuilt. Here are some factors to consider:
LA County states: “Existing footings and slabs in fire damaged buildings and structures are not typically permitted to be reused due to the intense heat and fire that the foundation is exposed to. If you desire to reuse your footings and slabs, you must follow the Concrete Slabs & Foundations Policy.”
Previous wildfire survivors have advised that a home built on a slab that was not replaced after a wildfire can suffer dramatic reductions in resale value.
How free is it?
If you do NOT have insurance:
It’s fully free
Period. You will never see a bill for these services. But, you will need to pay for any additional debris removal you want/need to have done on your property.
If you have insurance, but NO line item for debris removal coverage:
They take what’s left once you’ve rebuilt
In this case, the County waits until you have rebuilt, and if you have any money from your Coverage A (“Dwelling”) after your rebuild, they will take that.
If you have insurance, and DO have a line item for debris removal coverage:
They bill for this coverage amount
In this case, the County will bill your insurance for the total debris removal coverage amount you have in your policy.
About Your Trees!
About Your Trees!
Altadena Green is able to send independent arborists who are familiar with local trees to give a second opinion on what trees will survive. You may want to have this done before the ACOE arrive.
They also advise that any trees you do manage to save, you should a layer of mulch around the trees drip line to begin to look after them. They have been through a tremendous trauma, and will need support to regrow.
Note that survivors of the Tubbs fire have mentioned that 7 years post-fire very few trees have survived. The heat of a wildfire can damage a trees cambium layer (the living part of a tree under the bark), and/or the fire can turn the trees sap and moisture to steam. Scorched roots can also make it harder for the tree to take in water and nutrients.
The stress of wildfire on trees is tremendous. Even if they don’t fall immediately it can take years for them to ultimately fail. Bear this in mind as you set expectations for your trees survival, and be sure to get professional opinions, especially when keeping trees near homes and roads.
Another thing to remember is that removing a tree after construction will cost significantly more.
Given what the ACOE does not take, and best practice recommendations from soil experts around health and safety it’s likely you will need to hire private debris removal contractors to do some additional work.
“If I opt in, how do I pay for private removal of what the Army leaves behind?”
If you do NOT have insurance:
FEMA, loans or pay out of pocket
FEMA may help with covering this cost. There are also grant and loan programs for this cost.
If you have insurance, but NO line item for debris removal coverage:
You could use your rebuild funds
This counts as part of the rebuild cost so if you then don’t have enough insurance coverage to rebuild your house, you might be able to apply for FEMA, an SBA loan or other funds that are earmarked for rebuilding.
If you have insurance, and DO have a line item for debris removal coverage:
Use your insurance funds
LA County has stated that any additional debris removal costs will be reimbursed up to your policy limits.
If you need to do additional debris removal once this has happened, the County has stated that you can be reimbursed from those funds.
If you provide your insurance company with an invoice for the additional debris removal work before the County bills, it’s possible that your insurance will set these funds aside so that when the County bills they will only be paid what is left over after your additional costs have been covered.
FYI
Be sure to hire a correctly licensed debris removal contractor
Look them up
Visit the Contractors State Licensing Board website.
Click on “Consumers” on the top menu.
Click “License Check”
Click either “business name” or “personnel name”. Enter the name of the person or company you are exploring working with.
Click on the license number that pops up
Check that under “license status” it says “active”.
Under classifications, if you want to opt out of the ACOE program, the contractor MUST have one of the following:
Class A with HAZ certification
Class B with HAZ certification
or BOTH Class 21 and Class 12 with HAZ certificationIf you are opting IN, allowing the ACOE to do phase 2, and are only hiring a contractor for the additional work, their license must list the following:
Class A
Class 21Class B (if they are contracted to do your full rebuild only)
Under “Bonding information” check that they have an active bond. This is a neutral third party who will make decisions on any claims you might need to make of negligence or misbehavior for which you would seek reimbursement.
Under Worker’s Compensation, check that they have workers comp insurance. If they don’t it means they are not allowed to legally have employees so they will be sub contracting the work out, and if anyone is hurt during the removal process, they could sue you.
Note: Contractors who have a Class A or Class B license without a “HAZ certification” or “C21” license can NOT perform your debris removal unless they are also under contract to rebuild your house.
“If I opt out, what do I need to do?”
If you previously opted in, you’ll need to formally opt out
You can do that here.
2. Hire a Contractor
Follow the steps listed above.
3. Be sure they follow the County’s guidelines to the letter
If the guidelines are not followed, it’s possible that you will have to pay for additional debris removal and testing. Here are the guidelines from the County:
If you opt out of the program, once the EPA has completed its Phase 1 work, you will be responsible for hiring the appropriately licensed and certified contractors to remove the debris. This will include retaining a Certified Asbestos Consultant (CAC) to conduct a survey to identify asbestos in debris. If the CAC finds asbestos, you will need to hire an abatement contractor; and the CAC and abatement contractor will work together to submit an asbestos cleanup plan to South Coast AQMD for review and approval. More information on this process can be found here.
Your contractors will need to be approved by the County and your city, and you will be responsible for all costs of debris removal. The work must be completed in compliance with all local rules and regulations related to debris removal. Private contractors must also adhere to the same haul routes and safety standards being used by the Army Corps of Engineers to minimize neighborhood disruption. Please check in regularly for additional information and updates on specific regulations at recovery.lacounty.gov or call the LA County Public Works Fire Debris Hotline at 844-347-3332.
Step 4:
Complete Debris Removal
If you would like to adhere to scientist recommendations for health and safety, and/or you have additional debris removal needs, such as damaged driveways, etc, you will need to hire a private debris removal contractor to do this.
Note: Be sure to have a conversation with them about “erosion control” on your property. Land owners are responsible for post-debris removal erosion control. If you have opted in to the ACOE program, they will complete this work. If you have opted out of ACOE, be sure your contractor installs erosion control, and make sure the contractor who builds your home is aware of the integrity and age of what is put in place so they can factor that into their scope of work.
Some guidelines for the last phase of debris removal
Remove 3 inches of soil from everything outside of your structural burn sites
The ACOE should have taken 6 inches of soil from beneath your structures that are larger than 120 square feet. According to some scientists, this should be enough for safety, but it is recommended to remove 3 inches of soil from the rest of your property. You don’t want children or animals digging or kicking up soil that has asbestos and other contaminants in it.
2. Test the soil underneath that for toxins
You’ll want to test the soil that remains to be sure it’s safe. As of 3/1/2025, LA County Public Works has stated that soil from burn sites will be tested to ensure that all contaminated ash has been removed, and that additional testing will be done until the soil tests clean.
If you would like to test soil from outside of your immediate burned structure, testing for carcinogens, asbestos, and other toxic substances that may be present is an easy and somewhat affordable process. One such service is Allu Vial, which costs $185. There are a number of studies being performed where free testing may be available. If you have insurance, it may cover private soil testing as well.
If toxins are found, you may want to perform remediation measures to be sure you and your family can safely live there.
Note: It has been advised by previous wildfire survivors that being able to show clean test results can be crucial to a property’s resale value in the future.
3. Wait to replace removed soil with fresh soil
You’ll want to bring in fresh soil to cover over what was removed after you have completed thorough testing, but wait until you consult with your builder. During the construction of your foundation a lot of earth will be moved around and displaced, much of which will end up in your yard. Because of new earthquake building codes, you may end up with more soil in your yard than you got rid of. You don’t want too much or too little soil on your property, but you’ll have a better sense of when and how to do that once you talk to your contractor.
4. Remove cracked or damaged concrete
Know that slabs of concrete have steel rods inside them for reinforcement (“rebar”), which can melt, twist and bend in high heat, compromising the structural integrity of the concrete. It is recommended that you remove any concrete that has been actively burned.
Note: It has been advised by previous wildfire survivors that homes that are built on slabs that were not replaced after a fire can struggle greatly to command market prices when sold.