The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it has completed the first phase of the Los Angeles wildfire cleanup, ahead of its deadline.
“President Trump set an extremely ambitious deadline for EPA to clean up all hazardous materials in the wake of the deadly California wildfires,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. “Thanks to his leadership and the hard work of countless personnel in the field, we got it done in record time.”
The multiple fires in the Hollywood area of California, the largest in state history, were finally contained on Jan. 31.
The Palisades Fire broke out on Jan. 7 and burned over 23,000 acres, flattening thousands of homes. The Eaton Fire burned just over 14,000 acres and similarly destroyed thousands of structures.
The fires ravaged entire neighborhoods and left thousands without homes.
While the fires were still being extinguished, federal aid was being negotiated.
President Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) exchanged in a back-and-forth as the president claimed aid would only be heading to the state with conditions.
In its release, the EPA said it partnered with the military and Department of Homeland Security to develop a response plan to the fires.
Crews cleared hazardous materials from thousands of properties and allowed for debris to be removed and other recovery efforts to begin, the EPA said.
The EPA said the next phase of the recovery plan will be conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“FEMA assigned EPA the first phase of the overall recovery and cleanup: to survey, remove, and dispose of hazardous materials and to remove lithium-ion batteries,” the EPA said. “This work, conducted at no cost to residents, ensured the safety of residents and the workers who will … undertake Phase 2 of the post-fire recovery.”
