LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — All 84 of the properties in Lake County whose owners enrolled in California's statewide Consolidated Debris Removal Program following last year's Cache fire have cleared the entire debris removal process and been returned to city officials to begin the permitting process for reconstruction.

The 84 returned properties include 79 parcels whose owners chose to participate in the full debris removal program.

The owners of the other five chose to take part in the program's hazardous trees only element.

Under the program, administered by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, or Cal OES, and the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, or CalRecycle, in collaboration with county officials, participating property owners incur no direct costs.

"The return of all 84 properties in Lake County is a significant step forward in the recovery and rebuilding process for the owners of those properties," said Cal OES Deputy Director of Recovery Ryan Buras. "The state's recovery team has worked incredibly hard to remove more than 350,000 tons of debris, nearly 22,000 eligible fire-damaged trees and other hazardous materials on public roads and properties from the 2021 wildfires statewide. We are committed to clearing and returning the remaining properties as quickly as possible so that families can safely return home and move forward in their recovery."

Return of the properties to city officials follows the completion of site assessments; asbestos surveys; the removal of bulk quantities of asbestos containing materials; and the removal of eligible debris.

The process also included analysis of soil samples by a certified laboratory to verify they met state health and environmental standards; the felling and removal of hazardous trees; the implementation of erosion control measures; and a final walk-through by state debris officials to ensure all work meets state standards.

During the debris removal process, state contractors removed 9,640 tons of fire-related debris, including 467 tons of burned metal, 582 tons of burned concrete and 8,591 tons of ash and contaminated soil generated by the fire. Contractors also felled and removed 71 hazardous trees from 18 properties identified with such trees.

State debris officials also have returned 17, or 81%, of the 21 properties in Mendocino County participating in the program to local officials affected by the Hopkins. All but one of the properties is participating in the full debris removal program.

During debris removal operations in Mendocino County, crews removed 85 tons of burned metal, 828 tons of burned concrete and 4,,997 tons of ash and contaminated soil generated by the fire. Contractors also have felled and removed 108 hazardous trees from 18 properties identified with such trees in danger of falling on the public or public infrastructure.

To date, state debris officials have returned 796, or 37.2%, of 2,142 properties statewide participating in the full or hazardous trees only element of the program to their respective county to begin the permitting process.

To date, state-managed crews have cleared all eligible debris generated by the 2021 wildfires from 1,523, or 85.5% of the 1,781 properties enrolled in the full debris removal program.

Wildfire survivors had the option to either use their own contractor or enroll in the state-managed program.

Of the properties with damage from the 2021 fires, 1,781 signed up to have the remains of their homes and other structures cleared by the state. Another 359 property owners chose to participate in the hazardous trees only element of the program.