The recovery and cleanup effort of the 9/11 World Trade Center site lasted approximately nine to ten months. The recovery work involved clearing about 1.8 million tons of rubble and debris. Fires at the site burned for months until they were fully extinguished by December 19-20, 2001. The official end of the cleanup was marked on May 30, 2002, when the last steel column was removed from Ground Zero. This massive, around-the-clock effort included tens of thousands of responders, contractors, and volunteers working continuously at the site and related locations like the Fresh Kills landfill. In summary:

• Rescue efforts shifted to recovery around late September 2001.
• Fires burned for about three months after the attacks.
• Cleanup efforts ran seven days a week for nine to ten months.
• The last piece of steel was removed by late May 2002, officially concluding the cleanup.