LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The state reported this week that all nine properties in Lake County whose owners enrolled in California's statewide Consolidated Debris Removal Program have cleared the entire debris removal process and been returned to county officials to begin the permitting process for reconstruction.
Those Lake County properties were burned in last year’s LNU Lightning Complex.
The return to county officials of the final outstanding property by state debris officials makes Lake County the second Bay Area county with every participating property returned as ready for the start of the permitting process.
Earlier, state debris officials returned the last of 28 participating properties in Mendocino County to county officials.
Properties are returned to officials in their respective county after the abatement of bulk quantities of asbestos containing materials; the removal of burned metal, concrete, ash and contaminated soils; confirmation by a certified laboratory that soil samples taken from the property meet state health and environmental standards; the implementation of erosion control measures; the removal of hazardous trees; and a final walk-through by state debris officials to make sure debris removal operations on the property meet the standards of the program.
To date, debris officials have returned an additional 471 properties to officials in four other Bay Area counties as ready to start the permitting process.
State debris officials have returned 227 participating properties to officials in Napa County. The 227 returned properties represent 70.5% of the 322 properties whose owners chose to take part in either the full debris removal program or the program's hazardous trees only element.
The state also has returned 160 or 65.6%, of 244 participating properties in Sonoma County as well as 75, or 98.7%, of 76 participating properties in Santa Clara County to local officials.
In addition, state officials have sent back nine, or 30%, of the 30 participating properties in San Mateo County to local officials.
As of Aug. 4, 2,254, or 50.1%, of the 4,497 properties statewide participating in either the full debris removal program or the hazardous trees only element of the program have been returned to their respective county to begin the permitting process.
In 2020, more than 8,000 climate-induced wildfires burned 4.2 million acres of California, destroying more than 5,700 homes.
Property owners incur no direct costs for participation in the state-managed clean up and recovery program, administered by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, or CalRecycle, and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, or Cal OES, in collaboration with 25 participating counties.
Major clearing work: 98% complete
To date, the remains of 2020 wildfire survivors’ homes and property — burned metal, concrete, ash, and contaminated soil — have now been cleared from 98.3% of the properties enrolled in California’s statewide Consolidated Debris Removal Program.
Most properties still need critical soil testing, erosion control, and hazard tree removal to ensure the lots are safe for families to rebuild.
Wildfire survivors had the option to either use their own contractor or enroll in the state-managed program. Of the 5,991 properties with damage from the 2020 fires, 3,842 signed up to have the remains of their homes and other structures cleared by the state.
An additional 655 property owners signed up to participate in the Hazardous Trees Only element of the program.
As of Aug. 4, state-managed crews cleared burned metal, concrete, ash and contaminated soil from 3,775 of the properties throughout the state participating in the full debris removal program.
In Napa County, crews have removed eligible debris from 310, or 99.4%, of the 312 properties taking part in the full program.
Earlier, crews have cleared debris from the last of 214 Sonoma County properties participating in the full program, as well as from all 72 Santa Clara County participating in the full program.
State contractors also have cleared eligible debris from all 28 Mendocino County properties participating in the full program; as well as all 13 San Mateo County and all nine Lake County properties participating in the full program.
Before homeowners can begin rebuilding, cleared properties need additional work including:
— Separate contractors collect soil samples for verification at a state certified laboratory that they meet state environmental health and safety standards.
— Contractors next may install erosion control measures.
— Certified arborists or professional foresters assess wildfire-damaged trees in danger of falling on the public or public infrastructure for removal by separate contractors.
— Finally, state officials inspect the property to verify all completed work meets state standards. Debris officials submit a final inspection report to local officials to approve the property for reconstruction.
Property owners can track the above data on the Debris Operations Dashboard for the 2020 statewide wildfires. The dashboard is updated every hour and provides users with the ability to search by county or address.
State's Consolidated Debris Removal Program finishes work on Lake County properties
- Lake County News reports
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