Governor Declares Statewide Emergency Due to Fires, Extreme Weather Conditions

Tanker plane dropping retardant on the Pawnee Fire Sunday.

Stock photo by Mark McKenna

Press release from the Governor of California:

Governor Gavin Newsom today declared a statewide emergency to help ensure the availability of vital resources to combat fires burning across the state, which have been exacerbated by the effects of the historic West Coast heat wave and sustained high winds.

“We are deploying every resource available to keep communities safe as California battles fires across the state during these extreme conditions,” said Governor Newsom. “California and its federal and local partners are working in lockstep to meet the challenge and remain vigilant in the face of continued dangerous weather conditions.”

The Governor earlier this week secured Fire Management Assistance Grants  (FMAGs) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to bolster the state’s response to fires burning in Napa, Nevada and Monterey counties and signed an emergency proclamation and executive order to address impacts of the ongoing heat wave.

The text of today’s proclamation can be found here and a copy can be found here.

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14 Comments
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record_needle
Guest
record_needle
3 years ago

If this keeps up, by 2021 we’ll all be living like Mad Max!

Ron
Guest
Ron
3 years ago

Control burning is the answer I have know idea why we’re not doing it. None at all.

Ice
Guest
Ice
3 years ago
Reply to  Ron

The Trump administration cut Fuels reduction funding to the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management by 20% last year and 50% this year…thats a big part of why they are not getting as many acres burned..

THC
Guest
THC
3 years ago

Historic heat wave? Is it worse in other parts of California? Seems like a fairly mild summer to me.

Black Rifles Matter
Guest
Black Rifles Matter
3 years ago
Reply to  THC

Y’all need to leave your bubble once in awhile.

Obey
Guest
Obey
3 years ago

We’re not allowed to anymore. Chancellor Newsom and Doctor Fauxci said so. And we’re supposed to obey without question.

max
Guest
max
3 years ago

seriously, tho. folks here like to whine like our problems are somehow unique to here.

Please Check One
Guest
Please Check One
3 years ago

THC – That’s their narrative. “Historic” starting from last year (laughing emoji).

Dave Sky
Guest
Dave Sky
3 years ago

It might be a good idea to have a well trained local volunteer forest fire fighting unit that can deploy with a cell phone ping and/or CB radio call to assist in fire containment in real time for local forest fire events. Boots on the ground before CalFire assets are deployed.

Code two and a half
Guest
Code two and a half
3 years ago
Reply to  Dave Sky

Virtually all fires are dispatched to local government agencies (mostly volunteer firefighters). Calfire responds also, as well as mutual aid resources who predominantly come from other volunteer agencies.

Calfire has been working for decades to hamstring volunteer agencies with prohibitive standards. Now they are starting to reap the benefits- Calfire cannot field anywhere remotely near the necessary numbers without pulling from volunteer agencies and private contractors. Local government agencies trying to meet these standards, make recruiting and retention more difficult. And thus even less likely to send staffed engines.

Dispatch goes through dedicated radio repeaters with sub-audible tone encoding. Audible tones are sent to wake up the pagers for dispatch 24-7-365.

Volunteers have been first on scene since… forever.

Ice
Guest
Ice
3 years ago

Not exactly. VFDs usually only have contracts with Calfire for structure fires and medical aid calls. Only some VFDs have Wildland fire equipment and training. And Calfire and VFDs only respond to fires on state and private lands in CA unless ordered up for fires on Federal responsibility area lands like National Forests and parks under mutual aid agreements. Federal managed lands are US Forest Service and National Park Service responsibilities.

HotCoffee
Guest
HotCoffee
3 years ago
Gimmie a break
Guest
Gimmie a break
3 years ago
Reply to  HotCoffee

Great map – also details latest evacuation orders. Thanks Coffee!

HotCoffee
Guest
HotCoffee
3 years ago

LORI A. CARTER, WILL SCHMITT AND JULIE JOHNSON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
August 19, 2020, 12:12PM
Updated 18 minutes ago

11:45 AM: Need for volunteers

The Petaluma People Services Center is seeking volunteers to help with expected fire evacuee needs.

Fill out this form to apply: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14_XI6BAY6btQNmoHz_GOYdavDinu1OGj-JpvkDBxLCE/edit
11: 30 AM: ’Extreme scarcity of resources’

Sonoma County firefighters are bracing to battle the growing Walbridge fire with little help from outside agencies because of the number of wildfires across Northern California, including the large Hennessy fire in Napa County, officials said Wednesday morning.

“We are seeing an extreme scarcity of resources,” Supervisor Lynda Hopkins said.

12:10 PM: Gov. Newsom addresses the wildfires burning across California

Watch live: https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/article/news/live-updates-multiple-fires-in-sonoma-county-north-bay-continue-to-rage-w/?trk_msg=8SVFEMRKLOSKT0M2DS07VRGQA8&trk_contact=9BJIFDA52N6DI17FT70JT5ABG8&trk_module=new&trk_sid=R5TBN69CHT436JDV70HK7KCCJK&utm_email=C4DCF5A3246124E0748DA4E38A&g2i_eui=hWtcry%2b1OC7XmN4b3Uoq3Q%3d%3d&g2i_source=newsletter&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.northbaybusinessjournal.com%2farticle%2fnews%2flive-updates-multiple-fires-in-sonoma-county-north-bay-continue-to-rage-w%2f&utm_campaign=nbbj_daily