Fed Cleanup of Altadena to Be Completed Ahead of Schedule

Federal crews sweeping away tons of ash and debris in Altadena are ahead of schedule after the firestorm early this year that burned down 9,000 mostly single-family homes.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has removed the wreckage from 1,900 properties in a two-stage process that began in February, a month after the Eaton fire ripped through half of the unincorporated community, Pasadena Now reported.

Some 123 federal debris removal crews and 92 asbestos abatement removal teams sifted through what were once middle-class homes. A first phase involved the removal of hazardous materials.

“We are going to be complete Jan. 1, 2026,” Col. Sonny Avichal told residents at an annual Altadena community meeting. “However we do expect that for the great majority of property owners, we should be complete late summer, early fall.”

That was good news for homeowners who had waited three months for Los Angeles County to issue its first building permit. This week, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to create a “unified permitting authority” they said will cut red tape and hasten the approval process

The first building permit was issued to the unidentified owner of a now-vacant lot at an undisclosed address on North Olive Avenue, NBC4 Los Angeles reported. The San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity will rebuild the home.

The nonprofit developer built the now-burned home more than a year ago — and will rebuild it and other homes across Altadena, according to Bryan Wong, its CEO.

“We’re hoping to build hundreds,” Wong told NBC. “We’re super excited that the county has worked its way through a process to get families back into their homes.”

He hopes the first permit creates a path for other homeowners to follow.

“This is just the beginning,” Wong told the TV station. “This was the first one and now that we have this permit done, we know what the path is. We’re looking to open the floodgates and let the people back into the community as fast as possible.”

The federal cleanup of the burned neighborhood in Altadena allows residents to opt out and remove the debris themselves. Property owners have until April 15 to fill out forms to have the Army Corps perform the debris removal.

Residents have expressed concerns regarding potential noise and air quality impacts to adjacent neighborhoods. In response, the Army Corps of Engineers has implemented several mitigation measures, according to Pasadena Now.

It employs water spray systems on machinery to suppress dust, while installing air monitoring units and noise reduction equipment. Nonetheless, some residents have complained about transparency and the selection of the Altadena Golf Course as a temporary debris staging area.

— Dana Bartholomew