Tuesday marks the deadline to submit right of entry and opt-in (or opt-out) forms for government-run wildfire debris removal.
Property owners affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires do not have to choose federal aid if they don’t want to; however, if they choose to use a private contractor, they must go through a licensed agency.
The government will initiate a process to remove debris from homes of individuals who don’t submit forms allowing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin cleaning up.
“In such event, [the homeowner] will be responsible for the full cost of the government’s fire debris removal activities,” the L.A. County Recovers website states. “A lien may be placed on your property to recover those costs.”
The April 15 deadline comes after federal officials extended the right of entry form submission deadline last month; originally, the final day to submit was March 31.
When the deadline was extended, the debris removal program was also expanded to include multi-family homes in addition to single-family homes.
Rental units and commercial properties are generally not eligible for federal debris removal services, but individual assistance is available for tenants and Small Business Administration loans are available for business owners.
More information on debris removal eligibility can be found here.