To ensure safety of workers, the public, and the environment, property owners must follow certain protocols after a wildfire disaster when removing structural ash and debris. There are two ways to manage the debris and ash resulting from the wildfire disaster.

1. A residential property owner may elect to participate in the Government Sponsored Debris Removal Program completed by CalOES/CalRecycle at no cost to the property owner.
   Information on the Government sponsored program can be found on the County’s Wildfire Recovery page or;
2. An affected property owner may elect to, or may be required to, complete the debris removal and property remediation by hiring private contractors and consultants at their own cost to perform the cleanup work (Private Contractor Program).

Private Contractor Phase II Debris Program:
If property owners elect or are not eligible to participate in the Government (CalOES/CalRecycle) Program, or if they miss the December 1, 2020 deadline to submit a Debris Removal Right-of-Entry, they are still required to remediate the property and remove the burn debris, comply with all applicable requirements, and do so in a timely manner. The property owners will not be reimbursed with public funds for the remediation and debris removal. The property owners shall complete the remediation through a licensed contractor with proper certifications according to the requirements of the California Contractors State License Board.

California Contractors State License Board’s Factsheet on Avoiding Debris Removal and Construction Scams

Property owners shall review all requirements thoroughly (see information below) before planning or pursuing their own debris removal. Property owners, not in the Government Sponsored Debris Removal Program, will not be allowed to rebuild on their property until the County has issued a certification of completion of the Private Contractor Program. Applications from Property Owners choosing the Private Contractor option will be processed starting November 16, 2020. Incomplete applications will not be processed.

San Mateo County Wildfire Debris Management Requirements and Template Work Plan
Conditional Exemption from San Mateo County Debris Removal Requirements
CZU Debris Removal Exemption Application
CZU Debris Removal Completion Certification

Property owners using the Private Contractor Program must begin by completing and submitting the following documents to San Mateo County Environmental Health Services for approval prior to commencing debris removal:

Property Owner Application to Hire a Private Contractor for Fire Debris Removal and San Mateo County Wildfire Debris Management Requirements and Template Work Plan

Submit completed forms for the Private Contractor Phase II Debris Program to envhealth@smcgov.org or mail them to San Mateo County Environmental Health Services, 2000 Alameda de las Pulgas, Suite 100, San Mateo CA 94403. For questions regarding the Private Contractor Phase II Debris Program, please contact us at envhealth@smcgov.org, or by phone (650) 372-6200.​