First came the wind, then the fire. The combination had a devastating effect on a livelihood built over decades of sweat, dedication, and love.
The possibility of rain currently forecast for the Los Angeles area poses another risk: landslides and flooding. This was made possible by the burned hillsides during the Eaton and Palisades fires, as well as the strong winds that preceded the fires.
The double disaster left thousands of tons of debris and exposed hillsides across the region.
The City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles and others are currently ramping up special efforts to ensure affected areas are cleaned up before the rains arrive, leaving vast mounds of mud and vegetation beneath open hillsides. carrying.
Especially in the La Cañada Flintridge area, green waste consists of branches, branches, and trunks that are not contaminated by fire. The debris must go through a very specific removal procedure.
Still, even uncontaminated green waste can cause major problems if left on the streets.
But neighbors noticed the hard work of crews clearing roads over the weekend in Altadena, where the Eaton Fire ravaged homes and businesses.
“Having so many workers show up on Sunday gave us hope,” Altadena resident Debbie Maust said.
Thanos Gauthier, manager of public works programs for the city of Pasadena, says Pasadena residents can place eco-friendly materials near the curb, where cars would go, instead of putting them in bags. . Do not block driveways or install over storm drains.
Pasadena’s location adjacent to Altadena makes it important to remove large amounts of debris.
“The storm probably knocked out a year’s worth of green waste that the city of Pasadena collects,” Gauthier said. “Just one day. Just one night.”
The City of Pasadena has brought in outside help to remove uncontaminated green waste from city streets that are not part of the burned area. Gauthier said truckloads of tree branches and other debris arrived at the park near La Cañada Flintridge and are being processed.
“The material will eventually be transported to their facility.” [and] It’s either sold or distributed to the public as wood chip material,” Gauthier said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass hastened the cleanup of the Palisades fire and other neighborhoods in the city with a new executive order.
“This is to prevent further damage to areas already devastated by fire, and to protect our watersheds, coasts and oceans from toxic runoff,” Bass said.
Her actions come after California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed an order that circumvents certain environmental regulations to more quickly remove debris and protect areas from potential landslides, mudslides and flash flooding. It was received and carried out.
“This is going to be a drainage channel for water,” Eaton Fire Incident spokesman Matthew Van Heegen said, pointing to a section of debris. “So we also want to make sure it’s out of the way so the water can flow freely.”
NBCLA spoke with a Los Angeles County Public Works spokesperson who said K-rails and other fencing will be installed in the coming days at locations near the fire site that could cause problems during heavy rain. It is said that it will be done.
We may also conduct door-to-door engineering assessments directly below the canyon to inform nearby residents of potential risks. We’ll also share actions you can take to reduce risk, such as boarding up windows and using sandbags.
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