During a survey of fire-damaged neighborhoods and business districts in Altadena, California, LA County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella highlighted to ENR the herculean effort to reach hazard mitigation, clean up debris and rebuild whole neighborhoods lost in the Eaton and Paradise fires. .
See the exclusive video tour below.
Even as crews have begun to rebuild the backbone of utilities in affected communities, new fires have formed in the county and in San Diego. As of the afternoon of Jan. 23, the Hughes Fire north of Santa Clarita quickly expanded to 5,000 acres, moving toward Interstate 5 and threatening communities around Castaic Lake.
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: canals, debris basins, dams and underground drains. —to ensure- I know that it is free of debris, but also that it is 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. A second phase will include the removal of debris with the permission of the owners.
Pestrella says he is working with other major regional agencies to form a recovery organization that will streamline 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.”
