Cal OES or FEMA (depending on who is overseeing the program) would contract with debris haulers to remove the structural debris from your parcel, and conduct asbestos and soil tests to ensure any residual toxins from the burn are removed. In exchange for the government agency performing this service, property owners will be required to sign a “Right of Entry” form (“ROE”). The ROE grants the government agency, and its contractors, permission to enter onto a private property and inspect, cut, test, remove, and clear wildfire-generated debris of whatever nature including but not limited to burned or partially burned structures, ash, concrete foundations, contaminated soil, vehicles, trailers, waste, hazard trees or other debris from the Property (“Debris and Hazard Tree Removal”).  CalOES or FEMA will determine which hazardous trees, materials and items on the Property are eligible for removal. The property owner will be responsible for removing any items deemed not eligible for the government-sponsored debris removal program.

In exchange for the debris removal performed by CalOES or FEMA, the property owner agrees that any insurance proceeds in a property owner’s homeowners insurance policy designated for debris removal will be collected by the government agency managing the debris removal process. Property owners are not required to pay any additional money to the government other than designated debris proceeds in their policies. In no event shall the amount of insurance proceeds paid to CalOES or FEMA exceed the costs charged by its contractor(s).

In the event a property needs additional debris removal after the CalOES or FEMA contractor has completed the removal under the ROE, all expenses incurred by a property owner for such additional removal will be paid first, and the remainder (if any) will be turned over to CalOES or FEMA.

More information on Phase 2 will be available soon.