EPA clears hazardous materials from one-third of Spokane fire-damaged homes

SPOKANE, Wash. — The Environmental Protection Agency has cleared hazardous materials from about one-third of the homes burned in the Spokane fires, with crews reporting progress that exceeds their initial expectations.

Teams have been moving from burned home to burned home, checking for hazardous materials, bagging them and transporting them to the Spokane County North Transfer Station. Since many of the homes are close together, crews have been able to move between them easily.

“This really is the first step that needs to happen before a lot of other things for rebuilding,” said Emma Pokon, EPA Region 10 administrator.

Pokon said the accelerated timeline stems from an emergency order issued by the Spokane Regional Health District, which granted EPA crews automatic access to properties without requiring homeowner permission. Only single-digit numbers of homeowners have opted out.

“We’re providing a free service to the community, and it’s reducing the risk for people returning and wanting to rebuild. So I think it’s a good sign,” Pokon said.

Homeowners whose properties have been cleared will see a posted sign in their yard indicating the completion of hazardous materials removal.

Pokon said common hazardous materials found in fire-damaged homes include propane tanks, fertilizer and lithium batteries.

The EPA has 14 crews working in the Old Trails Fire area, though that number may decrease as the project nears completion. The agency will also clear homes in the Autumn Lane and Fairview Fire areas, but it doesn’t know which one it’ll work on next.

While the EPA does not have a specific completion date, Pokon thinks the project will finish ahead of the original 60-day timeline.

“I think we want to make the recovery effort go as smoothly as it can in where we have a role,” Pokon said. “So, we want to make it safer for the next crews that are coming through that might be doing some form of cleanup.”