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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Clean up has begun in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood, and one local community group is trying their best to make it as easy as possible.

Colorado Springs Together is a nonprofit organization that was established to help clean up and restore neighborhoods impacted by the Waldo Canyon Fire.

The group has developed a strategy to coordinate and expedite the rebuilding of those neighborhoods and the removal of debris.

Monday they tested the first part of their strategy at two sites in the Mountain Shadows area.

"These are prototypes so that the company we're looking to coordinate all this activity with, plus Utilities, plus regional building, plus County health, and all the other agencies that are involved with this type of project can see what goes on and can learn from this and really improve the process going forward," Bob Cutter, President of Colorado Springs Together, said.

Cutter said the process includes four phases, the first being removal of debris.

"Removing all the burnt out furnaces and appliances as well as the ash, etc.," Cutter said.

Phase 2 is removing dead landscaping in the area.

"Dead trees, shrubs, and everything else, and we're recommending that people just cut those trees off. Do not remove the roots cause that's gonna create potential flooding and run off problems," he said.

Phase 3 is mitigating the area, followed by Phase 4.

"Phase 4 would then be, if necessary, the demolition and removal of the existing foundations," Cutter said.

Cutter added that some homes may be able to reuse existing foundations.

Cutter said by working together the process will be streamlined and cost less.

"It's cost-effective because we should hopefully be able to do several hundred homes, and all the equipment is gonna be on site. The crew is gonna have the knowledge, etc., to move through that very quickly," he said.

The organization is also able to pull metal from the burned material to recycle and said they hope to have clean up done as quickly as possible.

They said they hope by making the process easy and convenient they can also help remove some of the stress.

"It's a one-stop shop. The contractor takes on the liability, the homeowner has dramatically reduced liability and reduces their number of worries at obviously a time where they're having to worry about a lot," Cutter said.

Homeowners are not required to go through Colorado Springs Together and may choose their own personal contractor.

For more information, click here.