State agencies will provide free cleanup help to survivors of the Carr Fire, which won’t exactly get people back on their feet, but it will at least open the road to recovery.
Those whose homes were decimated by wildfire in the Redding area can receive both technical help and plenty of elbow grease that should clear the way to rebuilding. Brian Crane, the City of Redding’s Carr Fire recovery director, said the process is more involved than people might think.
“There’s the ash and debris, and health related risks associated with that, so Cal OES will come in and for free remove all that and get your property to a point where you can rebuild your home for the most part,” he said.
Crane said it’s a two-step process. Officials with the Department of Toxic Substances Control will screen and remove toxic compounds, then CalRecycle crews will remove everything else.
Residents must sign a ‘Right of Entry’ form to receive the service. Videos providing official instruction and more information can be found on the Carr Fire Recovery website, created by Shasta County and the City of Redding.
Redding officials say they're expediting building permits and that the wait time is being measured in weeks.
“The critical path won’t be so much getting a building permit, it will be finding a contractor, getting plans redrawn,” Crane said.
Builders and architects will be busy. The Carr Fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes. It’s currently more than 200,000 acres in size and 71 percent contained.
Wednesday afternoon all remaining evacuations due to the fire were lifted, according to Cal Fire.
The boil advisories in Old Shasta and Keswick have also been lifted, according to the Shasta County Emergency Operations Center. Both water systems have been flushed and the water throughout the area is safe for drinking shown by recent water samples.
The “do not drink” notice for the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area headquarter facilities still stands.
