Hurricane-force winds and dry conditions led to this week’s
unprecedented fire outbreak in Southern California. As of January
9, the Palisades and Eaton fires in Southern California had
burned over 27,000 acres with zero containment. Los Angeles
County has activated its emergency website to support
residents in this unprecedented firestorm where residents can
find the latest information on evacuations, response, power
outages, road conditions and more.
Los Angeles County is impacted by poor air quality and may begin
to reach Orange County and San Bernardino County.
Major Disaster Declaration Secured Quickly
President Joe Biden quickly approved the state’s request for a
Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to support ongoing
response efforts. Late last night, the state also received
continued federal assistance to combat the
Hurst,
Eaton, and
Palisades Fires. The California Office of Emergency Services
activated the State Operations Center to support the local, state
and federal actions in the Los Angeles basin.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved a Fire
Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) to help ensure the
availability of vital resources to suppress the fires. To learn
more about the FMAG for the Palisades Fire, go
here.
Mutual Aid Pours in from Across California
As California rapidly responds to active, rapidly evolving
wildfires in Southern California, the state announced that more
than 7,500 firefighting and emergency personnel have been
deployed to protect California communities. Mutual aid from
across California, including from the US Navy and US Forest
service have been deployed to the fires, as well as resources
from neighboring states.
Governor Issues Executive Order
The Governor also issued an executive order to support
communities affected by the ongoing fires. Text of the executive
order is available here. The declaration covers a wide range of
issues that emerge after fires including suspension of
unemployment waiting periods, fee suspensions, expedited removal
and cleanup of debris from the fires, health care and education
facilities.
Counties needing assistance with shelter and resources can reach
out to the California Department of Social Services.
For more information, please contact Catherine Freeman,
Senior Legislative Advocate at cfreeman@counties.org.
