County to remove debris in fire areas - Victims in unincorporated areas can participate in voluntary program

SAN DIEGO — On November 6, the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors approved a $30 million Fire Cleanup Program to assist property owners in the unincorporated areas with the removal of structural fire debris.

The California State Office of Emergency Services has committed to funding $23 million of those debris removal costs, while the board committed $7 million to fully fund the program. The county received $5 million toward the state’s commitment on November 5 in order to implement the cleanup process. The program is provided at no cost to property owners.

The first phase of the debris removal program, with the removal of identifiable household hazardous waste from residential sites, began last week. The work will be conducted by teams from the California and US Environmental Protection Agencies. Common hazardous waste items include aerosol cans, batteries, paints and solvents, fertilizer, fluorescent lights and household cleaners.

The general debris removal phase of the cleanup program will begin later this month with a goal to have all debris removed before the end of the year. Property owners whose homes or businesses were damaged or destroyed in this year’s wildfires will be mailed a Right of Entry (ROE) form and additional information about the County’s Fire Cleanup Program. Those wishing to participate should complete the ROE and return it to the County.

The ROE grants the county and its contractors the right to enter the property for purposes of inspecting, sampling, removing and clearing fire-generated debris. The ROE form is also available online at http://www.sdcountyrecovery.com.

A hotline has been established for any property owners who want information about the program at (877) 308-8111.

The county has also scheduled a series of workshops for property owners to learn more about the Fire Cleanup Program and the Right of Entry forms.

For information on the workshop schedule as well as the Fire Cleanup and the Household Hazardous Waste Removal programs, visit http://www.sdcountyrecovery.com.