A burned home destroyed by the Eaton Fire that started on Jan. 7 in Altadena.
Los Angeles, California – Nearly a year after devastating fires swept through parts of Los Angeles County, close to 1,000 properties remain uncleared of debris, despite a final deadline that passed this week. County officials now face the challenge of enforcing cleanup requirements on those who declined or failed to participate in a coordinated debris removal program led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Following the fires, property owners were given a choice: enroll in the government-run cleanup program or take on the responsibility privately. Roughly 2,000 opted out of public assistance, either formally or by neglecting to file the necessary paperwork. Many followed through, hiring certified contractors and securing the proper permits. But according to the L.A. County Department of Public Works, 980 lots remain in limbo — scattered across fire-ravaged neighborhoods like Eaton and Palisades.
The private debris removal deadline was June 30. As of Tuesday evening, 708 uncleared properties were in the Palisades zone and another 272 in Eaton, according to county spokesperson Lisette Guzman. While 692 property owners did apply for the necessary permits, it’s unclear how many have begun or completed the work.
“The county and cities continue to work closely with property owners in completing this process, and more properties are cleared each day,” Guzman said in a statement.
Still, time is running short for those who haven’t acted. The county has made repeated attempts to contact delinquent property owners “in a number of different ways,” according to Guzman. Those efforts include notices about the consequences of inaction — consequences that are now increasingly likely to take effect.
If debris remains, lots may be declared public nuisances. In that event, L.A. County could step in, conduct the removal itself, and bill the property owners for the work. Unpaid charges could result in liens placed on the affected properties.
This kind of administrative follow-up is not new in the wake of wildfires, but it underscores the logistical burden local governments face long after the flames are extinguished. What’s left behind — toxic ash, twisted metal, structural ruins — isn’t just unsightly, it’s hazardous. And when hundreds of lots remain untouched months after the disaster, the risks compound.
The question now is not just whether L.A. County can enforce cleanup, but whether the long tail of disaster recovery — with its bureaucracy, deadlines, and missed communications — can move quickly enough to prevent the next crisis from taking root in the ashes of the last one.
