2018 wildfire season: Woolsey and Hill Fires post-fire hazardous waste clean-up

I have written four articles to date on the Camp Fire post-fire hazardous waste clean-up, see the end of this article for a listing and summary of each of the four articles. For the last several weeks, the residents and businesses who lost their residences and or places of business (or had substantial damage) as a result of the Camp Fire have been going through the post-fire hazardous waste assessment removal process (part 1). Once part 1 was complete meaning that the household hazardous waste has been removed (the property will be tagged after part 1 is complete). the clean-up moves to (part 2), debris removal. During this same time period, the residents and businesses who lost their residences and/or places of business as a result of the Woolsey and Hill Fires were going through the same two-part clean-up process. Please see the summary of my earlier four articles at the end of this article for information on where to find more information on the post-fire hazardous waste and debris removal programs.

The Woolsey Fire burned portions of Los Angeles and Ventura County while the Hill Fire burned in Ventura County. Much of what I wrote about in my four articles about post-fire clean-up after the Camp Fire will apply to the Woolsey and Hill Fires. At the time I wrote this article, part 1, household hazardous waste removal for properties burned by the Woolsey and Hill Fires is complete and the debris removal phase (part 2) is under way. Each county has a webpage (all links current as of the date I wrote this article) devoted to the post-fire hazardous waste removal and debris removal process:

Ventura County Recovers, page on debris removal
Los Angeles County Recovers, page on debris removal
CAL Recycle page on wildfire debris removal and clean-up

As I write this, it has been over three months since the Woolsey and Hill Fires were extinguished (mid-November 2018), but consequences to public health from the fire debris as well as the ash may still remain. Perhaps mold will be an issue because of the water used to extinguish the fire as well as the heavy rains that have occurred over the fire area. Once the household hazardous waste is cleaned up ash that will be removed in part 2, debris removal. Ash can be dangerous to health, so precautions are still important. It is important to obey any restrictions on re-entry, even after the property has been certified to be free of household hazardous waste (propane tanks, lead batteries, paint, asbestos, solvents, pesticides etc.) as local and state officials may still have restrictions on re-entry especially when the part 2 debris removal is going on. In my December 19th article on the clean-up after the Camp Fire, I summarized what happens in both phases of the post-fire clean-up. The same process applies to clean-up after the Woolsey and Hill Fires.

I don't know if local officials are still giving out appropriate protective suits and respirators to affected property owners, if not before going to your property talk to your local health department about how to protect yourself with pants, long sleeved shirts, and where to to get goggles and respirators. I know that this process has to be frustrating, but protecting your health and that of your families is top priority (see my January 4th article for more information). Go to any public meetings, call your local officials if you have any questions. If you have any health concerns -- including but not limited to asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease and other respiratory conditions, heart disease, and allergies -- at a minimum you will want to follow the precautions that I wrote about on January 4th, and perhaps talk to your health care provider before entering the property or have someone else go to the property in your place.

One of the reasons I wanted to write this article on the clean-up following the Woolsey and Hill Fires is because I came across a short report with audio from KPCC 89.3 Southern California Public Radio, this should be a direct link to the audio report from KPCC. The reporter paints a picture with words of the process of debris removal from one house that was destroyed in the Woolsey Fire.

I hope to be able to write more about the debris removal (part 2) phase of the post-fire clean-up affecting the Woolsey, Hill and Camp Fire in a couple of days, stay tuned.

Summary of articles to date about post fire hazardous waste clean-up and debris removal in California:

• December 19, 2018: Camp Fire, Paradise California. Summary of post-fire clean-up, part 1 (household hazardous waste removal and part 2 (debris removal).
• January 4, 2019: update on progress to date of Camp Fire household hazardous waste clean-up, excerpt from Butte County Hazard Advisory on precautions residents should take when re-entering their property after household hazardous waste (part 1) clean-up is complete but before debris removal (and ash removal, soil testing) is complete.
• January 11, 2019: update on progress to date of Camp Fire household hazardous waste clean-up. Conundrum on where to put non-hazardous debris from Camp Fire.
• February 13, 2019 discussion of California government sponsored debris removal (part 2) and what is and is not eligible to be removed under this program. References in this article are to Butte County, but the information would apply to the Woolsey and Hill Fires. Residents also have the option to use their own contractors but must comply with state and local regulations, see this page on property clean-up from Butte County for more information (link is active as of the date I wrote this article).