Fire & Recovery Information

Building/Planning Information 

Please be aware that building permits cannot be issued until debris removal has been completed. Properties located on lease lots will also need a letter of approval from the issuing authority before a permit can be issued.

Property owners who are applying for a building permit for a structure do not need a separate permit to cover the restoration of power. Building permit fees for structures are based on square footage. For more information about building permit fees, email Zach Anderson at zanderson@trinitycounty.org.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Debris Removal Program Enrollment/Process

1. What is the Consolidated Debris Removal Program?

The Consolidated Debris Removal Program has two phases: removal of household hazardous waste and removal of other fire-related debris including hazard trees.

In Phase I, local government, state and federal agencies have organized teams of experts from the California State Department of Toxic Substances Control (DISC) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to inspect your property and remove any household hazardous waste (HHW) that may pose a threat to human health, animals, and the environment such as batteries, herbicide, pesticide, propane tanks, asbestos siding, and paints. Phase I is automatic and includes residential properties that have been destroyed by the fires.

In Phase II, Cal OES, FEMA, and local officials will coordinate with the State’s Debris Task Force to conduct fire-related debris removal from your property if you have elected to participate in the State’s program by signing a Right-of-Entry Form.

Every year, California faces the threat of devastating wildfires that have the potential to claim lives, destroy property, and harm the environment. These disasters often create a significant amount of debris, which can include ash, metal, concrete, building materials, contaminated soil and hazardous materials. Disaster debris must be removed and properly managed to reduce threats to public health and safety, protect the environment, and help communities recover and rebuild.

California’s Consolidated Debris Removal Program is implemented under the leadership of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and local governments.

Trinity County, CA (April 19, 2021) – Debris Removal operations are underway in areas of
Southern Trinity impacted by the August Complex. To facilitate removal of hazardous fire debris,
CalOES and CalRecycle contractors have established a temporary site at the Ruth Airport to
expedite the debris hauling process and recovery from the August Complex.

Debris will be hauled from enrolled homesites to the temporary site, then reloaded and hauled
to the Anderson Landfill. All debris will be wrapped and covered during transit. Contractors
have deployed controls and safeguards as required by the Regional Water Quality Control
Board to protect the natural environment and surrounding community. Dust control will be a
priority at this site. Contractors will maintain onsite water for dust control purposes, and the
State will monitor air quality near the site to determine if adjustments to dust control operations
are needed. The site will be covered and secured at the end of each work day. This temporary
site is not open to the public. Members of the public may not bring any material to this site for
disposal. The site will be gated at all times to deter public access.

Trinity County, CA (November 10, 2020) – Trinity County is partnering with state and federal agencies to host a community meeting at the Ruth Lake Community Hall at 591 Van Duzen Rd. Mad River, CA 95526 on Thursday, November 12th at 4:00PM. Those impacted by the August Complex fire can learn about the Debris Removal Program, as well as assistance available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance program. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, all visitors will undergo a temperature check and must wear facial coverings and practice social distancing.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Individuals and households with losses due to August/September wildfires in
Butte, Lake, Lassen, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Trinity,
Tulare and Yolo counties have two weeks or less remaining to apply for grants from FEMA or lowinterest
disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The deadline is Nov. 21.
FEMA awards help eligible survivors pay for rent, home repair/replacement and many other serious
disaster-related needs, including replacement or repair of vehicles, funeral expenses, medical or dental
expenses and miscellaneous other costs. To be reimbursed by FEMA, survivors should photograph
damage and save receipts for repair work.
Survivors should contact their insurers and file a claim for the disaster-caused damage before they
register with FEMA. Anyone with insurance should register with FEMA even if they aren’t yet certain
whether they will be eligible. FEMA may be able to help with costs that insurance doesn’t cover.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Wildfire survivors who received an initial rental assistance award may be eligible for an extension of that after two months but must request it.
Many individuals and households who had to move after their homes were damaged or lost due to August/September wildfires in 13 counties have been receiving help from FEMA paying rent on temporary alternative housing. The counties are Butte, Lake, Lassen, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Trinity, Tulare and Yolo.
Two weeks after a household initially receives rental assistance, FEMA mails them a letter or an application for an extension. Anyone currently receiving temporary housing assistance who has not received a letter or an application and needs to continue that support may request an application for continuation by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585) between 7 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. PST. Those who use a relay service such as a videophone, Innocaption or CapTel, should provide FEMA with the specific number assigned to that service when they register.

TRINITY COUNTY, CA (October 28, 2020) – California Department of Toxic Substances Control (͞DTSC͟) will be assisting the County and property owners impacted by the August Complex Fire. This help will consist of two phases. Phase one is removal of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) from the properties effected, starting on November 2, 2020. This will be followed up with phase two – removal of remaining burn debris – in cooperation with property owners, CalRecycle (California Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery), CalOES (California Office of Emergency Services), and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency).

HHW must be handled separately from and prior to addressing other burn debris. Further, neither HHW nor burn debris can be taken to local landfills. Because HHW is dangerous, Residents are strongly urged to leave all HHW in place and to not remove any HHW or damaged containers of HHW from their properties. HHW includes unused or leftover portions of products that contain toxic chemicals. Products labeled Caution, Warning, Danger, Poison, Toxic, Flammable, or Corrosive are considered hazardous. See below list for examples of HHW.

Because of the hazards of HHW to the Community, HHW must be cleaned up. This may include the need to enter the property without the owner’s permission with the sole intent of removing HHW, which is permitted by the County’s emergency declaration_͕ and StateͬFederal Law.

Trinity County, CA (October 26, 2020) – Trinity County residents affected by the August Complex Fire will be able to access recovery services and resources at a Local Assistance Center (LAC) beginning on Thursday October 29, 2020. The LAC will help with replacing documents (such as drivers licenses, identification cards and vital records). Local, state, and federal agencies, as well as community organizations will be available to answer questions, refer residents to recovery resources and take applications to determine eligibility for disaster assistance.

The LAC will be located at the Ruth Lake Community Hall at 591 Van Duzen Rd. Mad River, CA 95526. Dates and hours of operation are Thursday, October 29^th through Wednesday, November 4, 2020, from 9:00AM to 6:00PM (includes Saturday and Sunday).

Trinity County Environmental Health will be at the LAC on Thursday, October 29^th at 11:00AM to provide information on the Debris Removal process and will be available throughout the day to answer questions.

Unfortunately, the District’s Office phone line is out of order at the moment but we are in the process of getting it fixed.  Sorry for those of you who have been trying to call the office.  In the meantime, those of you who are needing to contact the office please email at: ruthlakecsd@yahoo.com and we will try to get back to you ASAP.

The docks at the Marina have been fixed on Tuesday, October 20th, so it is safe now for people to remove their boats from the wet moorage.

The RLCSD and HBMWD are working with Trinity County in the debris removal process for the lease holders.  This is a message from the county today:  The County continues to engage with State and Federal partners to determine the next steps and how debris removal phases will be scheduled.  Please continue to be patient throughout this process.

For those of you who have been trying to contact the Ruth Lake Marina, Ruth Rec Campground and/or the Ruth Lake CSD office: September 8th there was an evacuation order due to the August Complex fire in place and the facilities had to close at that time. On September 27th the fire blew up again and took out many structures in the Ruth Lake area. It is extremely devastating to see. The road has been closed to the Ruth Lake area. In addition, the power has been out for over 2 weeks so the phones have been out of order.

Those of you who have a wet moorage slip and needing to pay for next season, your deadline has been extended and someone will be in contact with you when they are available to do so to square up on your payment. If your needing to mail your payment you may do so at: PO Box 6 – Mad River, CA 95552.