Fawn Fire Cleanup – What are My Options?

Starting the fire debris cleanup process?

You have one of two options:

Option 1, Government Cleanup:  Let’s assume that the government funded option becomes available and you’ll have the choice to ‘opt-in’ to participate or ‘opt-out’ and use your own insurance to clean up the ash and debris and perform required testing.  We put together a flowchart, found here, to show how this process works regardless of which option you choose. If you sign a right of entry (ROE) form authorizing access and the cleanup of your property, the government and their subcontractors do this work, and you eventually get a clear to re-build.  

Option 2, Private Cleanup: is your chosen option or the only option that ends up being available.  Shasta County is aware this is a tremendous burden on homeowners who are already struggling, so they’re doing what they can to lessen the burden. There are no fees for the associated permitting required for cleanup, it appears no waste profiling of the waste debris will be required for disposal beyond completion of an asbestos survey, no soil sampling is required at completion of the cleanup, and there is a $2,000 disposal voucher for West Central Landfill which will be given to homeowners who had 50% or greater damage to a residential structure.  The process is essentially to have an asbestos survey done on the structures lost in the wildfire, submit a demolition permit application to Shasta County – and a National Emissions Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) notification in some instances – obtain your $2,000 disposal voucher to West Central Landfill, dispose of all ash, debris and any contaminated soil, and retain any keep disposal documentation. You should then be cleared to then pursue a building permit. 

Learn more here!

We have offices and personnel in the areas of Arcata, McKinleyville, Eureka, Chico, and Redding, California that can help you with fire debris characterization and debris removal. 

Redding: (888) 351-8189

Arcata/Eureka (North Coast): (707) 388-3008

 

SHOULD I WAIT TO DO MY FIRE CLEANUP?

Fire debris cleanup is a heart-wrenching process. If you’re in a hurry and just want to get the process over with, we get it! Many will go this route.  However, if insurance coverage or money is an issue, then you could benefit by ‘opting-in’ to the federal cleanup program where all testing, removal, disposal and reporting is completed under the state program either at no charge to you (if you don’t have fire insurance) or for whatever coverage your insurance policy has for debris removal (i.e. the state will bill your insurance directly but will not collect amounts beyond your coverage limits).  

If you are ready to move forward with debris removal cleanup and you lost your home in the Dixie, McFarland, Monument, Fawn or Beckwourth fires then you’ll have an option for participating in the state/federal run program or opting-out and handling the waste yourself.  A landfill waiver was issued for landfills to accept waste from those fires without performing waste profiling first.  Identifying the presence or absence of asbestos in the fire debris is still required however.  The opt-in/opt-out process typically becomes a heavily debated topic in a local community; we’ve written a guide for property owners affected by previous fires and you can review that guide. 

 

WHERE DO I TAKE MY FIRE DEBRIS WASTE?

Where should I take my fire debris waste? That’s the question many homeowners and building owners have been asking lately.  Despite all the chaos and destruction the fires are causing throughout the State of California, we’re actually fairly ‘early’ in the cleanup process for most fires.  If you’re already at a point where you’re ready to clean up your property and are trying to figure out where to take the debris, then you’ve probably found out that’s not a simple question. We’ll give you the short answer first, then explain the long answer, then which could be best for you.

The short answer is you that need to determine where the closest landfill is located, then you need to contact that landfill to see what the waste profiling requirements are for that landfill.  Each landfill has their own unique process for profiling waste, and while there are some standards across the state for what’s classified as “hazardous waste” there is some wiggle room landfills have to accept fire debris from natural disasters. The fastest way your waste gets profiled is to find a consulting outfit that’s experienced and knowledgeable about the process; that outfit will need to survey the fire debris on your property and sample any materials that may contain asbestos. 

During the same site visit, they’ll also collect a sample of the waste stream – most frequently this is a composite sample of a cross section of your waste stream (i.e. you’re attempting to get a sample that’s is representative of all the fire debris from your property).  That waste stream sample is sent to a CA-certified laboratory for analysis of whatever your local landfill requires for waste profiling (typically at minimum, this includes metals, PCBs, and pH). Once you get the results back, you’ll prepare a waste profile report and submit that report to the landfill for a decision on whether their facility can accept your waste.

We’ve prepared a guide for previous fires that can be reviewed here on making this decision.

What does it mean if they declare a federal disaster?

If you’re in a hurry and just want to get the process over with, we get it! Many will go this route.  However, if insurance coverage or money is an issue, then you could benefit by waiting to see if the fire that destroyed your property will be declared a federal disaster.  We anticipate the larger fires currently burning (i.e. Caldor Fire, Dixie Fire) will be declared federal disasters – which will likely trigger California to issue an emergency waiver for landfills, which will ultimately accept fire debris and waste from a forest fire. This has already happened for the Dixie Fire and closest landfills to that fire (check with your local landfills or contact our office and we’ll help point you in the right direction)!

Learn more here!

We have offices and personnel in the areas of Arcata, McKinleyville, Eureka, Chico, and Redding, California that can help you with fire debris characterization and debris removal. 

Redding: (888) 351-8189

Arcata/Eureka (North Coast): (707) 388-3008

Where Do I take My Fire Debris Waste?

You need to determine where the closest landfill is located, then you need to contact that landfill to see what the waste profiling requirements are for that landfill.  Each landfill has their own unique process for profiling waste, and while there are some standards across the state for what’s classified as “hazardous waste” there is some wiggle room landfills have to accept fire debris from natural disasters. Learn more here!

Contact us today to discuss fire debris characterization and ash removal for your home or business in the areas of Arcata, McKinleyville, Eureka, Chico, and Redding, California. 

Redding: (888) 351-8189

Arcata/Eureka (North Coast): (707) 388-3008

What is makeup air and why does it matter for indoor air quality?

In nearly every residential and commercial building there’s a system known as an HVAC system. This stands for “Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning.”  

In most structures, there are several appliances that push air in or pull air out including things like clothes dryers, bathroom fans, fireplaces and kitchen range hoods. These appliances depressurize the interior of the structure. Any air exhausted through mechanical systems must be replaced by an equal volume of air from the outside to re-balance the pressure. Unless airways are deliberately provided for the incoming air through mechanical design in the HVAC system, it will flow in through the path of least resistance through passive means, such as gaps around windows and doors, between framing and the foundation, or at other leaky building components.  

Learn more here!

Contact Guzi-West today to discuss professional testing for indoor air quality for your home or business in Northern California, in Arcata, McKinleyville, Eureka, Chico, Redding and surrounding areas. (888) 351-8189

Concerned About Your Indoor Air Quality in Your California Home?

 

According to the EPA, there are three basic strategies to improve indoor air quality: 

• Source Control
• Improved Ventilation
• Air Cleaners

Learn more here!

At Guzi-west, we perform professional testing for indoor air quality in Arcata, McKinleyville, Eureka, Chico, Redding and surrounding areas. For additional services, please explore our website. Contact us today to schedule a professional testing service for your home or business. (888) 351-8189

Redding: (888) 351-8189

Arcata/Eureka (North Coast): (707) 388-3008