L.A. wildfire survivors show resilience, embody mythological Phoenix

PORTLAND, Ore. – Even during the grueling 68-day assignment – working 12 to 14 hours a day, Brig. Gen. Bill Hannan found resilience and inspiration – from the survivors.

Though this was a horrible disaster, I saw the best in people, both in helping their neighbors and working together, said Hannan, Northwestern Division (NWD) commanding general. In June, he returned from leading the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Task Force Phoenix (like the mythological bird), which is the team responsible for wildfire debris removal and recovery efforts in Southern California.

“I was amazed every day at how positive fire survivors were – many noting that this will only make their families and the community stronger,” Hannan said. “People, even through the worst of times, can be positive and look forward to how they’re going to be better in the future.”

Disaster response

As exemplified by the task force, USACE serves as part of the federal government’s response to natural or other emergencies, working with other federal agencies like FEMA, as well as states and local governments, contractors, and affected industries. During disasters, USACE’s priorities are saving lives, protecting property and supporting other agency’s emergency responses needs.

At the height of USACE’s wildfire response, more than 700 crews – including 219 personnel from across Northwestern Division who deployed or provided reach-back support – worked 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, removing debris to reduce public health risks, protect the environment and speed up community recovery. It’s complex work with methodical debris removal standards and expectations.

USACE uses a “wet method” of spraying water on debris, which helps increase the pace of removal and suppress dust. This technique, coupled with the mandatory respirators and Tyvek protective suits, boosts safety for employee and the surrounding community.

“I’ve inspected everything personally, from asbestos removal, to going to each landfill we’re using, each recycling center, to make sure we’re doing this right,” said Hannan. “The safety aspect is extremely important to us and something we take really seriously.”

Federal agencies estimated they needed to remove approximately 4.5 million tons of ash and debris. This amount would be roughly 700,000 to 900,000 adult elephants (assuming 5-6 tons per elephant). As of June 21, USACE and its team has cleared 2.6 million tons of debris.

Priorities

Hannan focused the teams’ efforts on four priorities: urgency, partnership, safety, and care. Care is perhaps the most important and unusual for typical U.S. Army activities, which tend to focus on warfighting and lethality.

“In typical USACE fashion, we worked with each fire survivor and the impacted communities to ensure all of our operations were conducted with the utmost care…. from the first property cleared until the last,” explained Hannan. “We understood that we were part of the grieving process for many and by clearing the debris off of their property – it enabled that family to move to rebuilding their home and their life.”

Teamwork

USACE is critical to emergency recovery efforts, as it brings unique capabilities and pulls experienced volunteers from across the nation to support survivors.

“Everyone is working together,” elaborated Hannan. “That’s been an amazing observation I’ve had since being there. Everybody is so laser-focused on helping the fire survivors and getting the debris cleared. The lesson I took is to look for ways in everyday activities and events to work together.”

What’s significant and unique about USACE is that we pair Army leadership with our dedicated civilian experts in debris removal, engineering, logistics and contracting, said Hannan. “When you have that mix of can-do Army spirit, with our civilian technical expertise, that is the recipe for success and that’s what’s happening in Los Angeles.”

Impact

During the assignment, Hannan spoke to hundreds of survivors who had lost homes or multiple homes across generations, businesses, and significant family heirlooms. For example, one homeowner had lost his father, a retired police officer, a month prior to the fire.

“[The homeowner] was just talking about that badge of his [father’s] was just so important and when we went to clear the property, we found the badge,” relayed Hannan. “He was just in tears, blown away, couldn’t believe it. Our teams would hand-pick through stuff if a homeowner had something that they thought would have survived.”

Return

Hannan returned to NWD in mid-June. The debris removal mission continues and should be substantially complete by the end of the summer.

“It was an honor to be able to directly support thousands of Americans from America,” said Hannan. “Even though I’ve deployed overseas multiple times, being able to make a positive impact inside of the United States was especially rewarding. It isn’t a mission that I ever wanted, and I wish the wildfires never happened, but I am glad I was one able to lead the mission. I gave it everything I had.”