A new milestone has been reached in the Los Angeles area’s push forward in recovery after January’s Eaton and Palisades fires, as 5,000 properties have now been fully cleared of debris, officials said Tuesday, May 20.

The Federal Emergency Management Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services announced that the number of properties across both burn zones, which total to over 37,000 acres combined, has reached 5,000.

Properties that are considered completely cleared have ash and all debris removed, as well as hazardous trees removed and hydromulching and erosion control measures. The right of entry must also be transferred from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Los Angeles County.

Another 2,500 properties are cleared of debris and awaiting final final clearance. While the Army Corps of Engineers largely focuses on clearing residential properties, the agency is also clearing some places of worship, private schools, multifamily homes occupied by owners, non-profit organizations, parks and community centers.

“In just three months since we began debris removal operations, to reach 5,000 completed properties is astonishing and a testament to the partnership necessary to pull off a mission of this scale,” Brigadier General William Hannan, commander of the Army Corps Task Force Phoenix said in a statement.

This milestone also means that the Corps has cleared about half the eligible properties it is assigned to clear, according to Hannan.

“I’m so impressed with the Army Corps and their contractors, they are very on it and they work so hard, around the clock, seven days a week,” Connor Cipolla, a member of the Altadena Town Council said.

As a councilmember and Altadena resident, Cipolla has seen residents being “surprised and grateful” that the Corps has worked on debris removal very quickly.

He acknowledged that parts of the process have been “irksome” for some at times, but had nothing but thanks for the Corps.

The clearing of properties has prompted concern over the volume of debris trucks in the burn zones, while also raising some environmental concerns.

But Cipolla is looking forward to the agency helping with recovery further as they clear eligible non-residential properties and toward the integration of AI plan checks, which he hopes will be helpful for those rebuilding.

As properties continue to be cleared, concerns about soil in the burn zone being contaminated have risen.  A study from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health found that the levels of lead and other toxins were above health screening levels in samples collected from both burn zones. Samples were collected from properties where debris and soil had been removed after the fire and where original surface soil remained. Previously, FEMA and the Army Corps have been criticized for not conducting soil testing.

L.A. County approved $3 million for soil testing in the Eaton footprint and Pasadena Unified School District announced it would conduct soil testing on its campuses. The tests found 18 sites in the district had elevated levels of heavy metals in their soils, though in some cases it was unclear whether these areas had been contaminated before or after the fire.

The district will continue testing and plans to complete any necessary remediation before students return in the fall. The district will also be closing and clearly marking contaminated outdoor areas at district sites to prevent people from accessing the soil.

While fully clearing properties is a first step in recovery, many homeowners are looking to the next steps – submitting plans and getting rebuilding underway. To support this, L.A. County is utilizing a new Building Plan Self-Certification Pilot Program.

The program will allow architects and engineers licensed in the state of California to self-certify that the plans they are submitting are compliant with L.A. County Building Code so that a further plan check review isn’t necessary, according to a statement from the county. This will help speed up rebuilding timelines for those who lost their homes.