Editorial: How fast can L.A. get rid of all this debris from the fires?

Before anyone whose home was destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton fires can even start to rebuild, they must remove the remains of what was once built there: heaping shreds of burned, toxic and possibly explosive remnants of houses and possessions. As Col. Eric Swenson of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is overseeing the longer Phase 2 debris removal process, said at a media briefing on Wednesday, that stage will most likely take “less than a year.” L.A. County Public Works is also managing the debris removal program. “Some of these creative spaces might have technical equipment or artists had lots of paints,” says L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, whose district includes the Palisades and who is among the officials leading the recovery. County officials urge residents on a block or in a neighborhood to consult one another and consider making a joint decision on whether to proceed with the corps or a private contractor. “Obviously people have to look at what the best option is for themselves,” says Horvath, but she adds, “It would be good to think about a coordinated community approach to debris removal.” Mark Pestrella, the director of the county Department of Public Works, as well as other county officials, recommend that residents choose the Army Corps.