Hazardous debris removal has begun for homes destroyed in Trinity County from the August Lightning Complex. The first phase involves the removal of household hazardous waste, which is done without permission in accordance with the county emergency declaration. The second phase will be removal of remaining burn debris, which is done only in cooperation with property owners. Homeowners are strongly discouraged from removing any debris because it cannot be taken to local landfills. Trinity County residents affected by the August Lightning Complex can find help at a local assistance center at the Ruth Lake Community Hall in Mad River every day through next Wednesday. Trinity County still has not been included in the list of counties covered by a Federal Disaster Declaration. The largest fire in California history is 93% contained after burning 1,032,700 acres.Aall evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted in Trinity County.
Traffic on Highway 36 is still being escorted through the fire zone. The closure for westbound traffic is now about 5 miles west of the Highway 3 junction, and the eastbound closure is still at South Fork Mountain Summit. Escorts are now operating 3 times a day, at 7AM, 12:30PM and 5:30PM. On Sundays pilot cars will run at the top of each hour between 7AM and 7PM. Replacement of guardrail, removal of hazard trees and culvert repair will likely continue until the end of November.