Debris Cleared From Thousands of Properties Since January Wildfires in Los Angeles

Concerns remain about the safety of returning to the land due to potential toxins in the soil.

An aerial view of a neighborhood destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on May 7, 2025. Nearly four months after the Palisades Fire destroyed over 6,800 homes, workers continue to clear hazardous debris from sites where homes had burned, and construction on some new homes has begun. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

More than 4,000 properties participating in government-run debris removal programs have been cleared in the aftermath of the Los Angeles County January wildfires, according to authorities.

The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) reported May 7 that crews had reached the major milestone while working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on structural debris removal from the Eaton and Palisades fires.

The crews are removing burned structural remains, trees, ash, and other debris, along with six inches of soil, including two to five feet around the footprint of the burned area.

“Crews continue to work seven days a week across impacted communities, prioritizing safety and environmental protection throughout the operation,” said Cal OES in a statement.

According to the state, $129.1 million in FEMA assistance has also been distributed to victims of the fires, and all eight public schools that were disrupted have returned to in-person learning as of May 5.

Construction workers have also started rebuilding homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, where multi-million-dollar houses stood before they were devastated by the Palisades Fire.

Concerns remain about the safety of returning to land that was burned in the conflagration, due to the potential threat of toxins such as lead and asbestos in the environment.

Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Calif.) and seven other Congress members said in March that FEMA had reversed its policy of testing soil for contaminants, and won’t do so in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires in which approximately 16,000 structures were burned down and 30 people lost their lives.

“Families deserve to know their homes are safe and free of dangerous chemicals. This is a break from decades of FEMA precedent—and it risks exposing entire communities to long-term health threats,” said Friedman in a statement.

According to state authorities, the South Coast Air Quality Management District is testing air quality in the Eaton and Palisades fire areas and has found “no immediate risk to public health,” as of May 7.

Homeowners are also seeking approval for new home designs and other permits to rebuild or repair damaged homes, while 267 properties are available for sale in Pacific Palisades and 117 in Altadena, according to Zillow.

At an Ad Hoc Committee for L.A. Recovery special meeting in March, city representatives heard from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety regarding the slow pace of permit issuance after the city had approved only three permits to rebuild two months after the fires destroyed over 6,800 homes in the Pacific Palisades community.

Since that meeting, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has implemented an artificial intelligence-based system designed to streamline the permitting process.

In late April, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the launch of a similar AI system at the state level.

“The current pace of issuing permits locally is not meeting the magnitude of the challenge we face. To help boost local progress, California is partnering with the tech sector and community leaders to give local governments more tools to rebuild faster and more effectively,” Newsom said in a statement.