During a survey of fire-damaged neighborhoods and business districts in Altadena, LA County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella highlighted to ENR the Herculean effort to come to mitigate hazards, clean up debris and rebuild entire neighborhoods lost in the Eaton and Paradise fires. See the exclusive video tour below.
While crews have begun rebuilding the backbone of utilities in affected communities, new fires have formed in San Diego and LA County. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Hughes Fire north of Santa Clarita had quickly expanded to 500 acres and was moving toward Interstate 5.
Meanwhile, forecasts of up to an inch of rain in the mountains above Los Angeles highlight the critical need to clean up as much toxic waste as possible and clear flood channels. “During and after any fire, the LA County Flood Control District, which is within my department, begins the watershed assessment process,” says Pestrella. “This assessment involves looking at the burn area, examining the affected soils and calculating the amount of debris we expect to enter the system. We are also assessing the system itself, channels, debris basins, dams and underground storm drains. to ensure- I know it’s free of debris, but also that it’s not physically damaged.” Repair work has already begun to mitigate the risk of flooding, he adds.
The cleanup, led by the federal government in partnership with LA County Public Works and other local agencies, involves the removal of hazardous waste, including lead and asbestos. The second phase includes the removal of debris with the permission of the owners.
Pestrella says he is working with other major LA agencies to form a recovery organization that will accelerate planning, design and rebuilding. “I’ve set a goal for my department and the county as a whole to recover, as well as resilience,” he says. “Using a lens of equity, we will find those of us who are most burdened by what has happened and return to this community stronger and better.”
