Completed Cleanup for Siskiyou County Properties Participating in State’s Debris Removal Program for the Mountain, McKinney, and Mill Wildfires

SISKIYOU COUNTY, CA –  This week, through a partnership between the Siskiyou County Office of Emergency Services (OES), Siskiyou County Environmental Health Department, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recover (CalRecycle), and county officials, crews have completed the cleanup for the eligible debris removal by the Mountain, McKinney, and Mill fires.

Owners of properties participating in the California Consolidated Debris Removal Program in Siskiyou County had burned metal, concrete, ash, and contaminated soils that were generated by the three fires removed. A total of 183 properties participated in the program and an additional 34 properties took part in the element of the program limited to mitigating hazardous trees.

There are a few crews still working onsite, the teams are clearing hazardous trees and rechecking soils to ensure the affected areas are safe for the community and the environment.

Siskiyou Environmental Health has been working diligently with the State contractors to ensure the paperwork is complete and parcels are to the County's satisfaction before we hand the registered clean and safe parcel back to the property owner.

 “Through this difficult time, we were able to come together to support all the communities affected by the fire. This is just one small part of the picture of moving forward, but OES and Environmental Health would like to thank you for your patience and understanding in this complex process.” Said Bryan Schenone, Director of Siskiyou County OES.

California’s Consolidated Debris Removal Program

Following the fires, property owners had the option of enrolling in the State Program by submitting a Right of Entry (ROE) permit application to county officials or hiring a licensed contractor to perform the work, which is required to meet the same state standards as the State Program.

Prior to the start of debris removal, the Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) removed batteries, pesticides, paints, and other household hazardous waste (HHW). Assessment teams then conducted site assessments to document property lines, the locations of subterranean infrastructure such as septic tanks and wells, and other pertinent data including items the property owner would like saved. Lastly, certified asbestos contractors assessed each property for bulk quantities of asbestos-containing materials for later removal.

• Remaining Steps to Completion
• Before property owners can begin rebuilding, cleared properties require the following additional measures
• Soil samples are collected by contractors for laboratory verification that they meet state environmental health and safety standards.
• Erosion control measures are installed as needed.

Certified arborists or professional foresters to assess wildfire-damaged trees in danger of falling on the public or public infrastructure for removal by separate contractors.

Finally, state officials will inspect the property to verify all completed work meets state standards. Debris officials submit a final inspection report to local officials to approve the property for reconstruction.

To date, 135 properties have completed the entire debris removal process and have been returned to county officials for permitting and the start of the reconstruction process. The 135 returned properties represent 62.2 percent of the 217 properties enrolled in either the full debris removal program or the hazardous trees-only element of the program.

Siskiyou County wildfire survivors participating in the State Consolidated Debris Removal Program can access an informational dashboard that provides details of the cleanup progress. The state-managed Debris Operations Dashboard for the Mountain, Mill, and McKinney wildfires is updated every hour and provides users with the ability to sort by branch or county via the filters at the top of the page.  (Some details above were provided by CalOES)

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