Updated October 2026
The federal debris removal program for the 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires is finished. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cleared the last Palisades lot on August 26, 2025 and finished the Eaton Fire on August 29, 2025.
The short version
- Phase 2 cleanup was free to owners who opted in. The Right of Entry deadline (April 15, 2025 in the County) has passed.
- In the Eaton Fire area the Corps cleared more than 5,600 private properties and removed about 1.4 million tons of debris.
- Owners who opted out had to clear their lots privately, with County permits.
- A cleared lot is the starting point for permits. The next step is your rebuild path.
What it means for your lot
Once your lot is cleared, you can submit plans. Your choice now is between a like-for-like rebuild, which gets expedited review, a larger or different house under current zoning, or, on a vacant single-family lot, an SB 1123 split into more homes. Our rebuild guide covers each, and the step-by-step like-for-like guide walks through the permit sequence.
Watch out for
- Get a new survey. Corners and fences are often gone after cleanup.
- Check soil and foundation reports before you reuse an old slab.
Sources: LA County debris removal, CBS LA on Eaton completion, LA Magazine on Palisades completion.
How we use it
Mariposa Complex, 385 Mariposa St in Altadena, is what a cleared lot can become: three homes along a shared driveway, each with an attached ground-floor ADU, three stories with roof gardens, under SB 1123. It won the 2026 AIA Pasadena & Foothill Rebuild Design Award.
A post-fire rebuild for more than one household, and winner of a 2026 AIA Pasadena & Foothill Rebuild Design Award.
Planning a rebuild?
Send us the address and we’ll tell you what it can hold. Book a free consultation → · Follow @ydsarch on Instagram