Debris Cleanup Efforts Begin In Woolsey Fire Burn Area

AGOURA HILLS (CBSLA) – Debris cleanup will get underway Monday in several parts of the Santa Monica Mountains which were scorched in 2018's devastating Woolsey Fire.

One year after the Woolsey Fire damaged 88 percent of federal park land in the Santa Monica Mountains, a second phase of the recovery effort that began immediately after the fire is poised to begin today with the testing of hazardous materials and removing debris from 30 structures and outbuildings. Nov., 13, 2019, in Agoura Hills, Calif. (National Park Service/Flickr)

Cleanup efforts will take place at several locations, including Paramount Ranch's Western Town and Cheeseboro and Palo Comado Canyon's Morrison Ranch area, according to the National Parks Service.

The areas will be closed during the cleanup. There was no estimate on how long the cleanup would last.

In February, NPS staff cut down the "Witness Tree," a towering century-old oak tree in Paramount Ranch which was scorched during the Woolsey Fire.

Last November, the NPS began testing burn areas for toxins ahead of the debris removal process.

On Nov. 8, 2018, the 97,000-acre Woolsey Fire broke out south of Simi Valley. It then jumped the south side of the 101 Freeway near Calabasas and spread into Malibu. The fire destroyed more than 1,500 structures and was responsible for three deaths. It was not fully contained until Nov. 21.

The Woolsey Fire burned a staggering 88 percent of National Park Service land in the Santa Monica Mountains.

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