FEMA wildfire relief deadline extended to April 15, with more properties eligible
The deadline is extended: Angelenos with properties affected by the Los Angeles County wildfires now have until April 15, 2025, to apply for cost-free government-run debris removal. Affected residents may submit a Right of Entry (ROE) form to participate in the program, or they may opt out and pursue debris removal independently.
ROEs permit the government to assess properties for burned debris, destroyed structures, damaged vehicles, vessels, and chimneys, as part of phase two of the Private Property Debris Removal Program (PPDR) executed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the new deadline and an expanded list of properties eligible for PPDR in a letter to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) on March 28.
Per the letter, properties that submit ROEs will be identified and selected for PPDR by July 15, 2025.
Usually, FEMA doesn’t address non-public land at all, but in the wake of the wildfires, their special PPDR program offers assistance to private, and some commercial, estates.
PPDR is open to single family residences and owner-occupied multi-family units. Properties that are newly eligible for the program as of March 28 include condominiums and multi-family buildings with at least one owner-occupied unit, including mixes of owner-occupied and rental units in the same building.
This eligibility does not automatically apply to rental properties owned by for-profit entities, which are considered commercial.
All commercial properties are and will continue to be considered for PPDR on a case-by-case basis, according to the March 28 letter. Factors considered by FEMA for these types of properties include inability to secure independent debris removal, insufficient insurance, and potential impacts on public health, safety and local economy.
In addition, all ROEs will undergo a verification process using property records.
For some properties, “the County may pursue abatement actions against properties that have not submitted a ROE or opt-out form to the County to eliminate the immediate threat to public health and safety posed by the wildlife debris,” FEMA Region 9 administrator Robert Fenton wrote in the letter.
However, to ensure a land parcel is considered for the government-run program, FEMA advises owners to submit the form and to do so as soon as possible.
The County has accepted ROEs for 8,190 properties out of an estimated 13,579 eligible parcels, according to the latest available data from the US Army Corps of Engineers CA Wildlife Debris Mission. A total of 1,505 properties in the county have completed phases one and two.
Phase one of PPDR, carried out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is the removal of all hazardous waste from private structures, which cannot be opted out of.
Phase two can only be initiated on properties where phase one is completed in full, and is commenced by the Army Corps when large clusters of adjacent properties are registered for the program. Consequently, LA County Recovers advises residents who fill out ROEs to “encourag(e) your neighbors to do so as well.”
If an affected-property owner is ineligible for the program, or wants to clean up debris independently, they must submit a Los Angeles County Local Fire Debris Removal Program Application. An Opt-Out Fire Debris Removal Permit must be issued for all outside contractors.
In using a private contractor, “you will be responsible for all costs of debris removal and asbestos abatement,” according to the LA County Recovers website.
“Private contractors must also adhere to the same haul routes and safety standards being used by the Army Corps to minimize neighborhood disruption,” the website reads.
Opting out is permanent: once the application and contractor permit are processed, property owners are prohibited from filling out ROEs.
For mobile homes, the landowner is the applicant who must fill out the ROE to qualify for PPDR.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a slew of executive orders expediting both debris removal and commercial rebuilding in fire-affected areas. On March 1, in a state-of-emergency proclamation, Newsom suspended the California Environmental Quality Act and California Coastal Act, protective legislation the governor claims is “slowing down critical forest management projects.”
Some have praised the governor’s efforts as a fast track to restore the county; others are concerned over the potential risks of bypassing regulations, especially on the environment.
The ROE form and opt-out permits are available at recovery.lacounty.gov/debris-removal/roe and at Disaster Recovery Centers.
The above website also provides the form in Spanish, Russian, Armenian, Korean, and simplified Chinese. A Public Works Fire Debris Hotline at 844-347-3332 can be reached with questions about the form and to help fill in any unknown information.