The deadline to either opt-in or opt-out for government-run wildfire debris removal has been extended.
FEMA made the announcement on Friday, stating that the new deadline to submit a Right of Entry form is April 15 for single-family homes affected by the deadly and devastating January wildfires.
All property owners should submit an ROE form by that date, either opting in or out of the program.
The original deadline was Monday.
The program was expanded to include multi-family homes, and that deadline is also April 15, but the process is little more complicated:
- For owner-occupied units, each owner of a destroyed unit in a condominium or duplex must submit an ROE form as well as the homeowner’s association of the building so that the county, state and FEMA can assess the property for eligibility. Residential commercial properties that contain at least one owner-occupied home, including most condominium and some multi-family buildings, are eligible for federally funded debris removal, even if there is a mix of owner-occupied and rental units.
- Rental units are generally not eligible for federal debris removal, and the owner of the apartment business is expected to use their insurance and hire a licensed contractor for removal. Tenants may be eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program to help them rent another place to live and/or replace destroyed personal property. Click here to apply.
Commercial properties are generally not eligible for federally funded debris removal, and commercial property owners are encouraged to work with their insurance providers to begin debris removal as soon as possible. Small Business Administration loans are available for business owners.
Public buildings and certain private non-profits are also eligible for federal assistance.
Those who choose to opt-in to have the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers remove debris will incur no out-of-pocket expenses, FEMA said; however, officials are not able to duplicate forms for non-government-run debris removal programs.
If a property has debris removal insurance, any residual amount not used by the property owner must be provided through the county to offset costs, FEMA stated.
Around 9,800 property owners affected by both the Eaton and Palisades fires have elected to use the government-run program and another 1,000 have opted out; however, officials say there are still roughly 1,200 property owners who have yet to submit an ROE form.
“If you don’t take action by April 15, you alone will be responsible for managing and paying for the debris removal,” Angela George-Moody, L.A. County Public Works Department Chief Deputy Director, said on Friday. “Please take advantage of this assistance.”
Two other important deadlines have not changed: applications for SBA loans and FEMA Individual Assistance are still required to be submitted by Monday, Mar. 31.
More information on California wildfire debris removal can be found at this link.
