Phase 1 of Los Angeles County’s Debris Removal Program is underway. Led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), this program removes common household items burned in the wildfires that may require safe disposal.
As fire-scarred houses are cleared, common household items are removed by the U.S. EPA to help clear properties in preparation for rebuilding. These items are the type of common everyday materials that residents transport to designated collection facilities for proper disposal.
Items that may be removed from residential properties:
| Household Items: | Some products that Include Lithium-Ion batteries: |
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How are these items removed?
A U.S. EPA team will survey your property, identifying debris and marking it for disposal. Then, a second team will secure the loose debris in a secure receptacle and remove it. Following removal, the collected debris will be taken to a transfer site nearby where it will be sorted and quickly routed on its journey to a its final disposal location. Throughout this process, local, state, and federal partners will continue to work together to test air, water, and soil to ensure safety.
What Happens After Phase 1?
Once EPA teams have identified and removed debris, the team will place a sign on your property that states the removal has been completed. Once this phase is complete, homeowners who have opted into the debris removal program will see Phase 2 begin. Phase 2 involves US Army Corps of Engineers removing the remaining debris from the lot. Those homeowners who do not opt into the debris program will have to remove the debris on their own.
Phase 1 is a crucial step in the process of recovery. Debris removal will help to keep communities safe from hazardous dust and allow survivors to begin rebuilding as soon as possible.
For more information regarding U.S. EPA’s wildfire response, visit: 2025 California Wildfires | US EPA.