Photo By Joseph Bruton | Joe Correia watches as remnants of what used to be his home are scooped into dump...... read more read more
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is making progress with the Public Property Debris Removal Program. Just ask Joe Correia.
On Feb. 15, Correia sat across the street from what used to be his home, watching as an excavator scooped piles of burned rubble into a dump truck. He didn’t seem to notice he was leaning against a black-charred post of what used to be a neighbor’s fence. In fact, he actually seemed upbeat.
The reason? Correia was watching as his property kicked off debris removal in the Pacific Palisades under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Private Property Debris Removal Program. His parcel now cleared, he can check that box.
A retired firefighter himself, Correia said he never thought it would happen – never thought the fires would reach his home – even though he had been watching the fires spreading since 10 a.m. on that fateful January 7.
“I drove toward the fires a couple blocks away and shot some video with my phone, then went back home to show my wife. I was sure they would get it under control, so we just … went about our business.”
But the winds kept blowing, and the fires kept spreading.
“Up until the late afternoon, we were certain it would eventually get contained. My wife was even cooking dinner watching it all on the news – and then we began to realize we could be in trouble,” he said.
Correia said the firefighter in him made him want to stay and fight with the tools he had on hand, but by 7 p.m., he said he knew it was going to be a lost cause, especially since he noticed there were still no firefighting vehicles or crew in the area.
“My wife and I packed a few things, corralled our Golden Retriever and evacuated. By then the fire was burning throughout the neighborhood with nearby Swarthmore Avenue ablaze,” he said. “I was one of the last ones out.”
When he came back in the morning, everything was gone.
In 1998, Correia said he purchased the worst house, in the best neighborhood – a tiny 900 square-foot home in a beautiful location. Over the years, the time came when he could tear it down and he built his 3,000 square foot dream home on the spot.
Fast-forward to a crisp but sunny L.A. winter morning on February 15, 2025, just a little more than a month after the fire, and a glint of hope was shining in Correia’s eyes – even as the remnants of his dream home were being scooped away.
“I was one of the first ones to turn in my ROE (Right of Entry) paperwork,” he said. “I got right on it. The people at the disaster center, everyone, have been really, really helpful,” he said.
With almost every home in his neighborhood razed, Correia said there is only one thing to do:
“I’m going to rebuild the exact same home, the exact same size, in the exact same spot.”
Together with FEMA and other federal, state and local partners, USACE will continue to help LA’s wildfire-impacted communities recover as quickly as possible.
Residents impacted by the wildfires may submit Right-of-Entry forms to authorize debris removal at their properties. Forms may be submitted at recovery.lacounty.gov or in person at a Disaster Recovery Center.
For questions or further information about USACE debris removal in LA, visit: https://www.spl.usace.army.mil/lawildfires.
| Date Taken: | 02.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.18.2025 17:45 |
| Story ID: | 490976 |
| Location: | PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 149 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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