Wildfire Recovery & Rebuilding
Debris Removal & Insurance
Update as of 2/21/19:
The Debris Removal Operations Center (DROC) is now closed.
The City and County have processed 1,037 properties that are eligible for the CalRecycle Debris Removal Program.
Debris Removal - CalRecycle has 42 crews on the ground that have removed all debris from 956 locations.
Soil Testing - Soil samples have been taken from all 956 locations to ensure fire related toxic soil has been removed. Samples typically take 7-14 days for the laboratory testing and processing of the results. For those that don’t pass, Cal-Recycle has a crew doing an additional soil scrape. If soil samples do not meet the clean up goal after the re-scrape, then a soil boring test will be performed. It is fully expected that this last test will show background levels that will allow for site clearance.
Erosion Control - CalRecycle erosion control crews started this week providing hydro seed, straw, wattles, etc. to homes that have been cleared.
Final Approval - Once erosion control is complete, CalRecycle will deliver a notice of Final Approval to the City or County for acceptance. So far, CalRecycle, City and County staff have approved 415 sites for redevelopment.
The City and County have updated the dashboard available on the Maps & Dashboard tile on this website to show/reflect soil sample testing and results.
Note: Until the final approval letter is processed, City or County staff will not issue building permits. Homeowners should not remove any additional debris until they receive clearance from the City or County. Homeowners ready to rebuild can expedite the final process by coming to the DROC and signing an erosion control waiver.
When can you begin work on your property?
After the property has had a final approval notification and the notification form is returned to the City or County. Once the debris removal by CalRecycle has been completed, soil samples show that clean up goals have been met, and erosion control measures have been applied (unless a waiver has been submitted), then the final approval notice is sent to the City or County for sign-off. Once the sign off form is completed by staff, an official letter will be mailed to the property owner(s). The property owner can then proceed with performing work on the property.
Critical Deadlines
- September 30th – deadline for residential property owners with homes and/or permitted buildings burned in the fire to have paperwork opting in or out of the CalOES program. If you haven't done so yet, please do this ASAP.
- October 15th – deadline for all property owners choosing to opt out to have workplans approved by the County or City (Appendix A of the Alternative Fire Debris Removal Program Application).
- November 7th – deadline by which all property owners choosing to opt out must have debris removal complete. Please note that this important date will allow the City and County to pursue legal action, if necessary, and allow Cal OES contractors to remove the debris.
- December 1st – approximate target date of the completion of the Cal OES debris removal program. Goals is to have all properties that opted into the Cal OES program cleared by this date.
Videos are available of the Debris Removal Community meetings hosted at Redding City Council Chambers on Friday, August 10, Tuesday, August 14, and Wednesday, August 29. If you were not able to attend, click on the dates of the meetings to watch the corresponding video. Use these to get familiar with the debris removal process. Though a bit long, the meetings were informative and well worth watching to understand what will be taking place in the City and County over the next several weeks.
Right of Entry Forms for both the City and the County
(English and Espanol)
Alternative Fire Debris Removal Program Application (Opt-out) for both City and County
The City of Redding and Shasta County, in coordination with California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), has released information about the two phases (six steps) of household hazardous waste (HHW) and fire related debris removal for homes and residential property buildings that were destroyed in the Carr Fire. Destroyed homes, and residential property buildings greater than 120 square feet, are those that have sustained more than 50 percent damage and require a complete rebuild. For homes and residential property buildings that have less than 50 percent damage, owners may be responsible for their own hazardous waste and debris removal prior to repairing their property.
Debris Removal Process Explained
The above link will explain the process in visual detail. The same information is expanded below, giving additional access to information that will help you navigate the debris removal process.
Has your home been destroyed in the fire?
Or do you have a residential building(s) greater than 120 square feet that has been destroyed?
Phase 1 (Step 1): Household Hazardous Waste Removal:
The California Department of Toxic Substances, in support of Cal OES and in coordination with Shasta County Environmental Health, will inspect your property and remove any household hazardous waste that may pose a threat to human health, animals and the environment. DTSC arrived in town on August 6 and have prepared teams for property inspections.
DTSC brought four teams with six hazardous waste specialists per team that will be united with one or two staff persons from Shasta County Environmental Health, and forming a combined team of seven to ten personnel. Two teams will be assigned to work City properties, and two teams will be assigned to work County properties, with a goal of completing the Phase 1 efforts in 2 to 4 weeks. DTSC has supplied a map showing their progress as they complete HHW removal from properties.
The HHW removal teams are trained to identify and remove hazardous waste and will do so under the authority of the Public Health Emergency declaration. Their mission is to remove any household hazardous waste that may pose a threat to human health and the environment such as batteries, identifiable asbestos, pesticides, cleaning products and paints. There is no cost to the property owner for this work and you do not need to fill out a request to participate.
The owner is not able to opt out of this first step of the cleanup process.
STEP 1: HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL
WHO: Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC)
WHAT: Clearing homes of any remaining household hazardous waste (e.g., propane tanks, compressed gas cylinders, solvents).
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Phase 2: (Steps 2-6) Debris Removal and Property Cleanup
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), in support of Cal OES, City of Redding, and Shasta County are available for debris removal and property cleanup at no cost to the property owner. The City and County will seek compensation, as allowed in your insurance policy, for debris removal. The property owner can also opt out and do this work on their own at their own cost.
Option 1 – Cal Recycle Debris Removal Program
The no cost debris removal by Cal Recycle does require property owner permission through completion of a Right of Entry Form (ROE). Homeowners should not physically remove debris from its original location prior to this process. Removing or placing fire debris in other places, even if still on the property, may disqualify homeowners from being able to participate in this program. If you have a vehicle on your property that has been destroyed in the fire, the General Recovery page has information that will assist you as you make arrangements with your insurance company.
CalRecycle anticipates having engineering teams in the area by the last week of August, and the first debris removals will begin taking place the first week of September.
The CalRecycle Debris Removal Program includes the following final five of the six debris removal steps.
STEP 2: ASBESTOS INSPECTION AND REMOVAL
WHO: CalRecycle and TetraTech (Now)
WHAT: Testing properties for asbestos and removal large obvious chunks of asbestos material.
STEP 3: SITE DOCUMENTATION
WHO: TetraTech (Now)
WHAT: Documenting the state of the property before removal of debris, including details like property size, units in an apartment building, number of cars, etc.
STEP 4: ASH AND DEBRIS CLEANUP
WHO: CalRecycle and subcontractors (Now)
WHAT: Removal of all debris and ash. Scraping clean the lot. You will be contacted 24-48 hours before this step occurs.
STEP 5: HAZARDOUS TREE REMOVAL
WHO: CalRecycle and subcontractors (Now)
WHAT: Removal of any hazardous trees on the property that may compromise the safety of crews working on the site. No other damaged trees on the property will be removed.
STEP 6: EROSION CONTROL
WHO: CalRecycle and subcontractors (Now)
WHAT: Erosion control measures to be determined property by property.
As noted above, a ROE form must be completed by the property owner(s) for Option 1. Following are links to the City and County forms:
o City of Redding ROE (English)
o Ciudad de Redding ROE (Espanol)
o Shasta County ROE (English)
o Condado de Shasta ROE (Espanol)
Keys to completing the ROE and obtaining City or County approval:
ROE Checklist – a checklist has been provided and is included with the Right of Entry form. Be sure to note each item on the checklist to be sure your form is completed correctly and that you bring the proper documentation when submitting your form.
Fully Complete – the form must be complete in its entirety. Note the various spaces that need to be initialed in the completion of the form to ensure the property owner has fully read and understood all provisions.
No Changes to Form – changes to the form will not be accepted. This a official State form that has been approved through their legal Department, and any modifications will not be accepted.
Insurance Information – important that detailed information on your insurance policy is completed.
Special Instructions – this is your key opportunity to provide special information to the contractors including (but not limited to) personal effects that the contractor should look for and more. If you would like to meet with OES before debris removal operations, please note that request here.
Owner Signature(s) – ALL owners or legal trustee must sign the ROE. Owners will be verified by the City and County and owner will be expected to provide related legal documentation (driver’s license, other).
City and County are accepting completed forms at the following locations:
City of Redding:
Permit Counter at City Hall (777 Cypress Avenue, Redding)
Debris Removal Operations Center (DROC) - 1300 Hilltop (rear of the Bank of America building)
Email or Fax – note to provide copies of legal documents verifying signature(s).
County of Shasta
Shasta County Permit Counter (1855 Placer Street, Redding)
Debris Removal Operations Center (DROC) - 1300 Hilltop (rear of the Bank of America building)
Email or Fax – note to provide copies of legal documents verifying signature(s).
The Debris Removal Operations Center (DROC) is open. The intent of the center is a one stop shop for homeowners to drop off their ROE, get questions answered regarding the debris removal process and check on the status of the removal efforts.
The DROC location is 1300 Hilltop (rear portion of the Bank of America building) and is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. - 12 noon.
Option 2 – Owner Removal
Alternative Fire Debris Removal Program (Opt-out)
As a property owner, you have the option of performing all the debris removal on your own at your own cost. The City and County, in coordination with Cal-OES, have developed an application and process to best ensure public health and safety expectations are met.
The process includes the following steps:
Complete the application and workplan and deliver it to the City
After approval of the workplan, City or County will issue a Demolition Permit with the workplan
Complete the work in accordance with the workplan
Provide clean up certification to the City or County
The process is complete.
The County and City have developed a package that includes the application, explanation of the program, workplan outline and template, and certification form.
The Alternative Fire Debris Removal Application and Workplan are pdf forms that can be electronically filled out and submitted at the following locations:
City of Redding: Permit Counter at City Hall – 777 Cypress Avenue, Redding
Shasta County: Permit Counter – 1855 Placer Street, Redding
TIMELINE
Debris removal timeline. Note that ALL debris from residential homes destroyed in the fire must be removed. Homeowners will need to either opt into the CalRecycle Debris Removal Program (Option 1) or perform the work on your own (Option 2). This work must be done in a timely manner to meet the health and safety concerns associated with the ash and debris that remains in our community. City and County are working toward a timeline to best ensure this mandate is met and tentatively planning for property owners to complete and submit either Option 1 - ROE form or Option 2 Alternative Fire Debris Removal Program application and workplan no later than September 30th.
Completion of debris removal is tentatively planned with the following timeline:
Option 1 – Cal OES plans to complete all work (1,000 residents plus/minus) by the end of November/early December.
Option 2 – for property owners who have not completed and submitted certification by November 7th, Cal OES plans to begin removing ash and debris on properties at the homeowners expense. This is the plan if Demolition Permit work has not been completed and certified.
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Is your home salvageable?
If your home is salvageable, then it has less than 50 percent damage, total rebuild is not required, although there may be extensive repairs needed. The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) may not inspect your home for hazards, so please be careful when removing ash and fire debris from your property. For additional direction, contact the building inspector for your jurisdiction (City or County).
For more information, view the Damaged Property page.
This page will be updated often, please continue to check back for additional information frequently. City, County, and Cal OES staff joined FEMA to present a community meeting discussing the debris removal process. Links to both public meetings can be found at the top of this page.
Insurance Information
United Policyholders provides professional advocacy for insured policyholders. If you need assistance navigating the insurance claim process, find more information at: https://www.uphelp.org/CarrFire.
Many questions have developed about what the debris removal allocation from the insurance company can cover if a Right of Entry form has been submitted. While we can’t advise you on your individual policy, here are some key points that you may want to consider as you begin talks with your insurance company.
CalRecycle contract crews...
A) Will Remove
• All debris within the ash footprint of the home
• Foundations
• Above-ground Pools/Hot Tubs
• Structures larger than 120 sq. ft.
• Burned vehicles provided the correct documentation has been submitted
• Debris that may have gotten into in-ground pool water
B) Won’t Remove
• In-ground Pools
• Outbuildings smaller than 120 sq. ft.
• Driveways
• Trees, fencing outside of the ash footprint of the home
If you have additional debris on your property that falls outside of the scope of what the Cal OES Debris Removal Program will remove, and you have signed a Right of Entry form, you can use that allotment to pay for debris removal from your home. Be sure to work with your insurance company to determine their definition of debris and what may be covered under that specification. If there is any allotment left after the work you do, the City or County will solicit that payment from your insurance company on behalf of Cal OES. There will be no out-of-pocket cost associated with the Cal OES Debris Removal Program, even if you have to use your entire allotment on other debris removal costs. This may be helpful if you have trees that need to be removed, driveways to replace, damage to outbuildings – such as sheds – that are under 120 square feet, or fencing that falls outside of the ash footprint of your home.
During the sewer lateral capping project occurring now on your property, staff may need to cut away portions of your driveway to reach the part of the sewer line that must be capped. CalRecycle contractors will not be removing your driveway; however, your driveway will more than likely need to be replaced due to the intense heat that may render it unsound. The debris removal portion of your insurance may cover this cost. Be sure to check with a licensed engineer to determine the state of your driveway, and your insurance company to determine the cost of replacing it.
If you have a policy that pays out your entire claim amount in one check, that you may have already received, you need to coordinate with your insurance company to determine what receipts or verification of expenses may be necessary for them, and also coordinate with the City or County to determine what needs to be provided to "prove" that the expenses you are making qualify appropriately. The cost of rebuilding your home will come first, but any remaining money after the rebuild may need to be remitted to the City or County to cover clean-up and debris removal.
Additional Information
Shasta County Press Release on Safe Cleanup when Returning Home:
City of Redding Press Release on Debris Removal & Cleanup: August 2, 2018 Press Release
California Department of Toxic Substances Control - Wildfire Household Hazardous Waste Removal: https://www.dtsc.ca.gov/SiteCleanup/ERP/wildfire-waste-removal.cfm
Reduce Exposure to Ash When Returning Home After a Fire: https://www.co.shasta.ca.us/docs/libraries/hhsa-docs/healthandsafety/return-home-ash-guide-cdph-nov-2017.pdf?sfvrsn=96cefb89_2
Questions?
If you have any questions that aren't answered on this site, please review the FAQ. If your question hasn't already been asked and answered, submit your question here.
Shasta County and the City of Redding are receiving a high number of questions. We are working around the clock to respond to questions and get services back to normal. During this time we appreciate your patience and understanding if your questions are not immediately answered.