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Archive: May, 2025
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  • May

    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.
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District contractors prepare to install an underwater bulkhead gate May 4 at Alamo Dam near Wendon, Arizona.

    LA District completes gate installation at Alamo Dam

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District completed underwater gate installation May 4 at Alamo Dam in Alamo Lake State Park.
  • 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.
  • Civil engineer (structural) Ian Buchanan performs a visual inspection of higherup walls inside the Eliot Arts Magnet Academy in Altadena, California. The Southern California wildfires of January 2025 left much of the school heavily damaged. His inspections will help the efforts by local residents to preserve the tower, April 15. USACE is working in partnership with local, state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in response to the Southern California Wildfires.

    Corps of Engineers assesses Eliot Arts Magnet Academy Auditorium destroyed in fire

    Serving as the cornerstone of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Southern California wildfire response is respect for the people, structures and history of the area. In the Eaton Fire zone of Altadena, California, stands Eliot Arts Magnet Academy — a school in the development and promotion of the arts, nurturing the creative talents of many local students.
  • Local government liaison Tony Porter stands ready to deploy to help those in need recover from disaster.

    Tony Porter: Paving the way from flames and destruction to hope, rebuilding

    When the Southern California wildfires began Jan. 7, residents never expected to see destruction of this magnitude. As people raced from their homes with little to no notice, they grabbed what they could —leaving behind memories and family mementos, many of which spanned generations. Not knowing just how bad things would get, many survivors found themselves able to do little but hope and pray.
  • Outgoing Safety Supervisor Tony McCoy, and Los Angeles District employee, provides an outgoing message to quality assurance supervisors and representatives before they begin work in Altadena, California, April 14. These meetings are a part of their daily routine to ensure supervisors are made aware of any plan changes, as well as to discuss any safety concerns. USACE is working in partnership with local, state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in response to the Southern California Wildfires.

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers teams support California Wildfire recovery

    Working on the Southern California wildfire recovery is incredibly challenging as people come together from across the country to deploy and offer their help.
  • Darius Wallace, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District employee and an Eaton Wildfire survivor, is greeted by USACE teammates April 30 outside his property in Altadena, California.

    USACE teammate receives unwavering support after wildfire devastation

    A longtime U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employee lost his Altadena home in January when the Eaton Fire swept through the area, destroying thousands of structures in its path. Darius Wallace, a 43-year veteran of the USACE Los Angeles District, returned to the property recently, joined by leaders from both USACE’s Southern California Wildfires Debris Recovery Mission – Task Force Phoenix and the LA District, who came to show their solidarity.