Photo By Jordan Raiff | One of the hardest to spot pieces in disaster recovery are nesting areas. From...... read more read more
Cleaning up after the Southern California wildfires is no easy task. Given the ages of many of the homes burned within the Eaton Fire , there are numerous hazards to contend with. From lead paint to asbestos, the level of once-safe, now-deadly chemicals at play is no laughing matter. Add in the chemical reactions triggered by such a hot fire, and the situation becomes even worse.
This is where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its safety officers come to the rescue.
Currently leading safety efforts within the Eaton Fire area is Taylor Bayless from the St. Louis District. Previously working on the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, Bayless said she originally got involved with deployments because she had a supervisor who always enjoyed deployments and the meaningful work. She encouraged me to deploy, so I volunteered for the Maui mission. “When the opportunity arose for Los Angeles, and with family in the area, it was a no-brainer," said Bayless.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned about safety on deployments is that those who say, ‘I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and we’ve never done it this way,’ are often the ones who become complacent, and they are the ones who end up getting hurt,” Bayless said.
Keeping safety at the forefront can be an uphill battle when working with so many different crews. “It’s a big checks-and-balances game out here. Everyone knows what the rules for safety are and what they need to do to be safe. It always comes back to complacency. People need someone to remind them that safety is important and to keep them accountable,” Bayless said.
Vehicle accidents have been the most frequent safety concern on this mission.
“The most frequent hazards involve dump trucks or USACE rental vehicles. Unlike Lahaina, the impact zone here is not closed off to the public. There are many independent contractors working in the same area. This causes more accidents, although thankfully they have mostly been fender benders and minor bumps,” she said.
As an industrial hygienist in St. Louis, Bayless said her focus on safety aligns directly with her normal role. Paired with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in environmental studies, she said the importance of safety in a debris mission is to ensure that there are no additional injuries as USACE helps communities recover from a catastrophic event.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2025 21:14 |
| Story ID: | 496648 |
| Location: | ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 12 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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