Deadline looming Jan. 22 to apply for free Thomas Fire debris removal

The deadline is Jan. 22 for people who lost their properties in the Thomas Fire to submit required paperwork for publicly funded debris removal.

Contractors for the CalRecycle state agency will remove debris from destroyed and severely damaged properties through a program that is funded by local, state and federal tax dollars.

Property owners will not incur any direct fees, although benefits paid by their insurance carriers for debris removal will be applied to the cost, officials said. 

“Although it may seem too good to be true, it is truly a great opportunity,” County Executive Officer Mike Powers said. “The program helps homeowners clear their property, so this first, critical step in the rebuilding process is completed quickly and at no charge to them.”

To qualify, fire victims must complete and submit a right-of-entry form. They are strongly encouraged to do so before the Jan. 22 deadline, officials said. 

The forms are available at venturacountyrecovers.org and three office buildings in Ventura: Ventura City Hall, 501 Poli St.; the Ventura County Government Center, 800 S. Victoria Ave.; and the debris removal operations center, 290 Maple Court, Suite 120.

The completed applications may be submitted at a counter set up by the Ventura County Environmental Health Division on the third floor of the Hall of Administration at the Government Center. Staff members will be present to help property owners with the applications, manager Doug Beach said. 

The Ventura County Clerk and Recorder’s Office is in the same building, allowing residents to obtain property documents required for the applications on site, Beach said. 

Property owners unable to visit the Government Center can submit their forms and other paperwork by email at ehdthomasfire@ventura.org. Email submissions may take longer to process, officials said.

This phase of the debris removal follows one in which state regulators removed visible toxic debris. Under the second phase, CalRecycle will remove burned debris, foundations, hazardous trees and contaminated soil. The program also includes soil testing before and after the debris removal to ensure the site is clean and safe for building.

In addition, air samples are taken during the debris removal process to protect neighboring properties from hazardous dust and air contaminants. All work is coordinated by CalRecycle under the right-of-entry form. Debris removal is scheduled to begin the week of Jan. 15 and be completed in April.

The Ventura County Government Center and the debris operations center are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.The debris center is also open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays for questions.

Ventura City Hall is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. most weekdays, but will be closed Jan. 19.

The Government Center and City Hall will also be closed Jan. 15 for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

More than 200 property owners had completed the forms and enrolled in the CalRecycle program as of Jan. 10. CalRecycle intends to start with 15 debris removal crews but may bring in additional crews to speed up completion.

“The sooner residents enroll in the program, the sooner I can bring in additional crews to accomplish that,” said Todd Thalhamer, senior solid waste engineer for CalRecycle.

For additional information, call the Environmental Health Division at 805-654-2813 or send an email to ehdthomasfire@ventura.org.