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  • August

    Lt. Col. David Weart, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Eaton Area Recovery Field Office commander, speaks to the crowd during an Aug. 14 ceremony in honor of the beginning of the debris removal at the past private property assigned to USACE that was impacted by the Eaton Fires in Altadena, California.

    USACE, partners mark milestone with final private property debris removal in Eaton Fire area

    Homeowners Beverly Outterbridge and her daughter, Tami, arrived early Aug. 14 to their property in Altadena. As U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representatives and contractors prepared an area in front of the burned-out shell where the Outterbridges’ home once stood, Tami greeted each person with a smile. “Welcome to our home,” she said, handing out a statement she had prepared to read at a ceremony later that day. The ceremony marked the start of debris removal at the Outterbridges’ property — the final private property assigned to USACE in the Eaton Fire recovery area.

  • May

    Farnsworth Park sits quiet and fenced off in Altadena, California, as crews continue wildfire debris removal May 23, 2025. The park remains closed to the public for safety as cleanup progresses, with the historic Davies Building and nearby pickleball courts visible in the distance.

    Three Altadena parks move closer to reopening after wildfires

    In the aftermath of the devastating January 2025 Southern California wildfires, recovery is taking root in Altadena — not only in homes and hillsides, but in three public parks that have long served as gathering places for the community.
  • A picture of Roselle Pettit, an engineering technician from the Sacramento District working out of the Tucson office.

    Tracking the cleanup: USACE technician powers debris data operations

    After the early January wildfires in Southern California, the Eaton and Palisades fire zones have been left with an estimated 4.5 million tons of debris to clean up. Given the number of historical homes in the area, this debris requires specialized treatment and must be transported to designated landfills. Ensuring this is done correctly is a major reason the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deployed in support of the mission.
  • Col. Sonny Avichal, commander of the Emergency Field Office – Eaton, returns Derek Russell Jr.’s late father’s police badge May 5 at the Southern California Wildfire Recovery Field Office building lobby in Pasadena, California. The badge was recovered from the debris of Russell’s home following the Eaton Fire in January.

    USACE team helps wildfire survivor reclaim priceless keepsake

    In the aftermath of the January wildfires in Southern California, many residents returned to their properties to find little left but ash and debris. Among them was Derek Russell Jr., who had just buried his father — a retired police officer and Army veteran — a month before the Eaton Fire consumed his home.
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employee Kelly Simoneaux, a security specialist with the Sacramento District is currently deployed in support of the Southern California wildfires as a call center representative. USACE is working in partnership with local, state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in response to the Southern California Wildfires.

    Behind the Phones: USACE Call Center Provides Lifeline to Wildfire Survivors

    When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was tasked to conduct debris removal following the Southern California wildfires, they knew residents would have questions. On Feb. 1, USACE personnel launched a call center, built a rapid training program and got to work.
  • Members of USACE conduct initial debris site surveys for the first batch of non-residential properties approved for USACE debris removal. USACE is working in partnership with local, state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in response to the Southern California Wildfires.

    NEPA, archaeology specialists support largest USACE wildfire cleanup to date

    Survivors of the Southern California wildfires are working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clear piles of debris left behind by the unusually destructive January blazes. In the Eaton fire zone, the destruction wasn’t limited to residential housing — it also affected many organizations vital to the Altadena community.
  • USACE employee Darius Wallace stands amonst the charred remains of what was once his home. USACE is working in partnership with local, state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in response to the Southern California Wildfires.

    USACE helps one of their own begin to recover

    As a former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, employee, Darius Wallace, had never seen anything like the Southern California wildfires that destroyed his home Jan. 7.
  • Arborist Victor Velazquez, from Tetra Tech, shakes hands with Greg Gully, contract engineer with USACE following Velazquez's inspection of questionable trees during the debris cleanup of the Southern California wildfires. USACE is working in partnership with local, state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in response to the Southern California Wildfires.

    From risk to recovery: Arborists aid fire survivors

    Following the Southern California wildfires, many survivors returned to find their homes destroyed, with little left standing on their property. Among the few things that often remained were trees.
  • Uniformed and civilian members of USACE provide outreach to the Altadena community while attending events in the Eaton fire zone. Answering questions, providing guidance, and a listening ear, they are some of the most prominant faces on the USACE mission. USACE is working in partnership with local, state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in response to the Southern California Wildfires.

    Task Force Phoenix Community Outreach bringing their response to the people

    Providing information and answering questions from survivors is an important mission for the Southern California Wildfire Response program and the community outreach for Task Force Phoenix has been busy lately.
  • USACE Safety Officer for EFO-Eaton, Taylor Bayless stands at the ready to identify and mitigate safety risks for all personell working the wildfire recovery zone.

    USACE safety team protects workers from hidden hazards after the flames

    Cleaning up after the Southern California wildfires is no easy task. Given the ages of many of the homes burned within the Eaton Fire, there are numerous hazards to contend with. From lead paint to asbestos, the level of once-safe, now-deadly chemicals at play is no laughing matter. Add in the chemical reactions triggered by such a hot fire, and the situation becomes even worse.
  • USACE Employees and members of the nonprofit Save The Tiles take a brief moment from wrapping and packing for a group photo. USACE is working in partnership with local, state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in response to the Southern California Wildfires.

    Preserving the past: USACE supports mission to recover fire-surviving artifacts

    When the Southern California wildfires began to rage on Jan. 7, many in the Altadena and Pasadena areas tuned in to their TVs to watch the flames live from the Palisades and Malibu on the other side of Los Angeles. Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine they would be battling blazes of their own.
  • Brian and Pamela Huges sit down in their long-term rental with visual information specialist Marti Allen from the Louisville, KY district to discuss what happened leading up to and following the Southern California wildfires. USACE is working in partnership with local, state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in response to the Southern California Wildfires.

    ‘Evacuate Now!’: USACE assists survivors after Southern California wildfires

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing debris removal for thousands of properties destroyed during Southern California’s Palisades and Eaton fires Jan. 7.

  • March

    Detailed terrain data of a neighborhood affected by the Southern California wildfires

    Optimizing the LA wildfire debris removal mission: USACE leverages expertise across academia, industry, military logistics

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is leveraging the expertise of industry, academia, the military and other government agencies to ensure the Southern California wildfires response is carried out swiftly and with best practices.

  • January

    One army general and a civilian chat in a parking lot with an ambulance in the background.

    USACE deputy chief visits LA Wildfires first responders

    Maj. Gen. Kim Colloton, deputy chief of engineers and deputy commanding general with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, visited the USACE Los Angeles District Jan. 15 in Los Angeles.