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Thursday, June 05-June 11, 2025
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Debris cleared from 88% of Altadena properties; Eaton Task force charged with overseeing LA County governance changes holds 1st meeting Fire Collaborative, county launch recovery resources By City News Service
By Joe Taglieri joet@beaconmedianews.com
A
fter nearly five months since the catastrophic Eaton Fire, 88% of the more than 5,000 fire-impacted properties in Altadena have been cleared of debris, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said Friday. A total of 3,440 properties, or 60%, have received final sign-off and returned to the county for follow-up. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has 81 active debris removal crews operating in the area, clearing an average of 57 properties each day. So far the corp's cleanup operation has removed over 1.3 million tons of debris. Barger, whose 3rd District includes Altadena and other Eaton Fire-damaged areas, said the progress made in the debris removal operation marks a critical milestone in the ongoing recovery and rebuilding process for one of the county’s hardest-hit communities. “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is demonstrating exceptional speed, efficacy, and dedication in their debris removal mission in Altadena,” Barger said in a statement. “Their tireless work is helping our community heal and rebuild faster
The LA County Governance Reform Task Force meets for the first time Friday. | Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors/X
A A worker sprays water on the ground to keep ash out of the air as machines remove fire debris. | Photo courtesy of USACE HQ/X
than many thought possible. I wholeheartedly appreciate their commitment and am proud to work alongside them as we support Altadena’s road to recovery.” Debris clearance is also evident at community sites such as Charles White Park, which is fully cleared, the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, 95% cleared, and Farnsworth Park's cleanup is halfway complete. Officials expect all parks to be fully cleared within two weeks. "Special inclusion properties" such as the Altadena Senior Center, The Bunny Museum and Lifeline Church
are in final stages of debris clearance, according to Barger's office. The Corps of Engineers works with county departments to align debris removal with road and utility repair efforts, managing more than 1,000 truckloads of debris per day, officials said. For more updates on recovery efforts, visit recovery. lacounty.gov. The Eaton Fire caused the deaths of 18 people, destroyed or damaged over 10,000 structures and scorched more than 14,000 acres. The cause of the See Fire recovery Page 20
fire is still under investigation, but multiple lawsuits allege Southern California Edison power lines ignited the blaze Jan. 7 amid fierce winds. New survivor support center opens in Altadena On Monday, county and state agencies opened a Survivor Support Location at the Altadena Community Center at 730 E. Altadena Drive, west of Lake Avenue. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, according to county officials. The state Office of Emer-
task force created to oversee sweeping changes to Los Angeles County's governance structure held its inaugural meeting Friday. The county Governance Reform Task Force was created with voters' passage in November of Measure G, which called for a series of changes in the way county government operates. Most notably, the measure called for an expansion of the fivemember Board of Supervisors to nine members starting in 2032. Measure G will also make the county CEO an elected position by 2028, and adds the positions of county Legislative Analyst and a director of Budget and Management. The measure also formalized the establishment of an Ethics Commission — which the county already began to create prior to the November election — and the hiring of a compliance officer by 2026, along with the creation of a Charter Review Commission to meet every 10 years and consider additional potential governmental changes. The entire process will be overseen by the Governance Reform Task Force, which includes 13 members. Each of the five county supervisors appointed one member to the task force, and those appointed members in turn selected an additional five members from a pool of applicants, with those at-large selections representing the business sector, municipal government, community organizations and a person with experience in public sector ethics. The remaining three members of the task force were nominated by labor groups — one by the Los Angeles County See Task force Page 36
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