The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it has completed the first phase of its wildfire cleanup in Los Angeles ahead of the deadline.
“President Trump has set a very ambitious deadline for the EPA to clean up all the dangerous goods in the wake of a deadly California wildfire,” said EPA administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. “Thanks to his leadership and the efforts of countless personnel on the field, we have achieved that at a record time.”
Multiple fires in California's Hollywood area, the largest in state history, were ultimately included on January 31st.
The Palisades fire broke out on January 7th, burning more than 23,000 acres and flattening thousands of homes. The Eton Fire burned over 14,000 acres, destroying thousands of structures as well.
The fire destroyed the entire neighborhood, leaving thousands without a home.
Federal aid was negotiated while the fire was still vanishing.
President Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (d) swapped back and forth as the president claimed that aid was only heading towards the state on the condition that aid was on the table.
On its release, the EPA said it had partnered with the Department of Military and Homeland Security to develop a fire response plan.
The crew allowed thousands of facilities to clean up hazardous materials, remove debris and start other recovery efforts, the EPA said.
The EPA said the next phase of the recovery plan will be implemented by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“FEMA has assigned EPA the first stage of overall recovery and cleanup, to investigate, remove and dispose of hazardous materials and to remove lithium-ion batteries,” the EPA said. “The work was carried out free to residents to ensure the safety of residents and workers embarking on phase two of post-war recovery.”
