Hazardous waste cleanup begins this week for Kincade Fire victims in Sonoma County, and the county is picking up the tab for the first phase.
The heavy lifting portion of the cleanup, however, is going to fall on homeowners.
The same company that cleaned up hazardous waste after the Camp Fire in Butte County has been hired to do the Sonoma County cleanup. Crews will begin removing hazardous waste from the 180 homes destroyed in the fire that scorched nearly 78,000 acres.
Four crews of eight people each will start digging through the rubble, collecting what’s known as household hazardous waste.
"That could be propane tanks, car batteries, like a pool shed that has all kinds of chemicals in it," said Michael Gossman, deputy county administrator.
Gossman said the county will spend $750,000 on the first phase, which should take 2-3 weeks. Then, phase two begins with clearing out lots and removing foundations where necessary. That’s the expensive part of the cleanup.
"That’s going to be with, you know, insurance money and private contractors and private property owners," Gossman said.
Local
Homeowners won't be getting financial aid from the federal government or state agencies as victims of the 2017 fires did. The reason: Not enough property burned.
Steve Jacobs, owner of the J Brand Cattle Co., said it feels like the government is turning its back on Kincade Fire victims.
"I think it’s a complete cop-out," Jacobs said. "There has to be a benchmark of how many places have to burn before the feds step in and help us out."
The federal government did step in with the Tubbs Fire in 2017, but in that fire, there were more than 4,600 homes destroyed.
