Following an average water season, California is again
experiencing multiple dangerous wildfires in part due to the
extensive extreme heat events over the past few weeks. Several
emergency declarations have been issued throughout the state:
The Borel Fire began burning in the Sequoia National Forest last
week and is one of several fires comprising the SQF Lightning
Complex, which has burned close to 90,000 acres to date. The
fast-moving Borel Fire ignited on July 24 on federal lands in the
Sequoia National Forest has burned more than 31,000 acres and has
more than tripled in size since Friday morning. The Gold Complex
Fire and Park Fires in Butte, Plumas and Tehama counties have
together burned more than 181,000 acres, forcing the evacuation
of thousands of residents, destroying homes and threatening
Lassen National Park. For up to date information on the status of
the state’s current ongoing wildfire emergencies, visit Incidents | CAL FIRE.
Federal Assistance is on its way through mutual aid and Fire
Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) to support the response to
the Park, Thompson, French and Hawarden fires.
Another heat event is expected with temperatures in the inland
valleys reaching over 100 degrees over the next week, and over
the weekend in Southern California.
It’s not too late to get ready for wildfire. Visit CalFIRE’s Ready for Wildfire
toolkit to help residents prepare for wildfires. California
Office of Emergency Services updates its daily
Statewide Situation Key Messages with information on current
actions, alerts and declarations.
Counties experiencing wildfires can also connect with CSAC and
partner with peers to navigate the current situation and
post-wildfire recovery period. For more information, please
contact Catherine Freeman, CSAC Senior Legislative Advocate at
cfreeman@counties.org.
