Residents displaced by the Palisades and Eaton fires face at least another week away from their homes as the search for missing individuals continues, and hazards such as toxic waste, damaged infrastructure, and lingering fire hotspots persist in evacuation zones.
“The repopulation of residents in the evacuation-order areas will not occur for at least one more week — for the areas that are deemed safe,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Thursday morning. “When I say one more week, that does not include the entire evacuation order area — we’re doing our best as we know this is a challenge for our residents.”
Sheriff Robert Luna emphasized that the one-week timeline is a minimum estimate, stating, “I believe it’s going to be longer than that,” during a Thursday briefing.
Marrone clarified that this timeline also applies to residents hoping to make brief visits to retrieve belongings or assess damage. Current safety concerns prevent even short-term access to affected areas.
Earlier this week, officials outlined initial steps to prepare the impacted zones for residents’ return, including hazardous waste removal and infrastructure repairs. On Thursday, they elaborated on these measures.
While most evacuees remain unable to return home over a week later, some evacuation orders have been lifted. On Wednesday, Sheriff Luna announced that orders had been rescinded for a portion of Altadena (south of Canyon Crest Road and west of Lincoln Avenue) as of Tuesday afternoon. However, no evacuation orders have been lifted for the Palisades Fire area.
One critical reason for delayed returns is the ongoing search-and-recovery operations.
“Our deputies are holding several locations where we are waiting for the appropriate resources to come in and unfortunately recover remains,” Luna said.
Addressing displaced residents, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley acknowledged their frustrations, saying, “We understand your desire to return to your community. However, significant safety and infrastructure issues remain, including downed power lines, broken gas lines, hazardous materials and unsafe water.”
EPA Takes Action
Gov. Gavin Newsom has requested federal assistance to clear household hazardous waste from properties impacted by the fires. Robert Fenton Jr., regional administrator for FEMA, confirmed that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been tasked with this effort, supported by an initial $100 million budget.
Over the next several days, 40 teams consisting of 500 personnel will begin clearing dangerous materials such as paint, cleaners, pesticides, fuel cylinders, batteries, larger asbestos debris, and other hazards, Fenton explained.
“This will be the first step in getting survivors back to their homes and communities,” he said. “By removing the hazards … we can get into the greater debris clearing and ultimately rebuilding.”
Crowley emphasized the importance of these efforts, adding, “The teams are working tirelessly for the purpose of ensuring that when the evacuation orders are lifted, our community members can rest assured that their homes have been scanned and screened and cleared of any dangerous chemicals. This will take time.”
Tara Fitzgerald of the EPA noted that her teams began work on Thursday with assessments in both burn footprints.
The remediation effort will target items posing the most immediate public health risks, including pesticides, batteries, fuel, and other materials typically handled by hazardous waste facilities, Fitzgerald said.
Debris Removal and Utility Restoration
Once the EPA’s work is completed, the next phase involves clearing remaining debris. Mark Pestrella, director of LA County Public Works, explained the scale of the task: “The properties have been damaged beyond belief. They are full of sediment, debris, silt and hazardous materials.”
Efforts are also underway to repair critical utilities. Pestrella stated that power, water, and sewer services in many areas are too damaged to function safely at present. Crews are collaborating with city officials and utility companies to restore services as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, FEMA has started distributing $770 emergency payments to affected residents and is guiding applicants through the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, which provides funding for hotel stays to give residents time to secure other housing options, Fenton said.
