Nearly seven weeks since the Erskine Fire began ravaging Lake Isabella and the surrounding communities, cleanup of the debris has officially begun.

Led by CalRecycle, numerous agencies began removing debris in South Lake on Wednesday. At least 293 homes are eligible for the program.

Crews will initially identify and remove any materials that might contain asbestos; then, they can begin removing metals, ash and contaminated soil.

After all debris is gone, they plan to scrape and remove contaminated soil and smooth out the surface.

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Although no one was available for comment on Wednesday, crews on site estimate that the process could take upwards of eight weeks.