REPORT TO SHASTA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

BOARD MEETING DATE:  August  21, 2018
CATEGORY:  Regular - Law and Justice-4.

SUBJECT:

Continuation of Local Emergency Proclamation: Carr Fire

Supervisorial District No. :  1, 2, and 4

DEPARTMENT CONTACT:  Tom Bosenko, Sheriff-Coroner (530) 245-6167

STAFF REPORT APPROVED BY:  Tom Bosenko, Sheriff-Coroner

RECOMMENDATION

Adopt a resolution which recognizes that the circumstances and factors that led to the July 30, 2018 ratification of a local emergency proclamation due to the wildland fire identified as the "Carr Fire" have not been resolved and that there is a need for continuation of the local emergency proclamation.

SUMMARY

There is a need for the Carr Fire local emergency proclamation to be continued.

DISCUSSION

The Shasta County Director of Emergency Services proclaimed a local emergency on July 26, 2018, due to the wildland fire identified as the “Carr Fire”. On that same day, State of California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., proclaimed a state of emergency in Shasta County. On July 30, 2018, the Shasta County Board of Supervisors ratified the Shasta County Director of Emergency Services local emergency proclamation pursuant to California Government Code Section 8630.  On August 4, 2018, a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration was declared.

Since the Carr Fire broke out July 23, 2018, it has consumed more than 211,000 acres and is, as of Wednesday morning, August 15, 2018, 65 percent contained. At one point during this incident there were over 40,000 people evacuated from their homes. The Sheriff's Office and numerous allied law enforcement agencies evacuated the areas in and around French Gulch, Old Shasta, Keswick, Igo/Ono, the City of Shasta Lake, and parts of Redding. The Carr Fire has also impacted neighboring Trinity County.

Surveys of fire damage have reported the Carr Fire has destroyed 1,599 structures, of which 1,077 were residential structures. The Carr Fire has also damaged 282 structures, 191 of which were residential structures.  The emergency services communication infrastructure on South Fork Road was overrun by the Carr Fire as well as the City of Redding Police Department communications generator. The Dispatch and Headquarters for the National Park Service at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area was also evacuated. It is unknown at this time the full extent of damage to guardrails, power poles, power lines and other public and private infrastructure.  Unfortunately, eight deaths are also associated with the Carr Fire.

The Carr Fire is the largest active fire in Shasta County. The second largest active fire in Shasta County began on August 9, 2018, and is the “Hirz Fire” which is burning on US Forest Service land and has, as of the morning of August 15, 2018, consumed more than 7,300 acres and is five percent contained. Evacuations were ordered for the Hirz Fire on August 14, 2018, and a shelter has been opened for displaced residents.   Another fire that began on August 9, 2018, is known as the “Hat Fire” burning in the Fall River Mills area of Shasta County, which has, as of morning of August 15, 2018, burned approximately 1,900 acres and is 85 percent contained. The “Crestline Fire” which broke out July 24, 2018 is now extinguished.

Since the Carr Fire is still actively burning and only 65 percent contained, it is recommended the local emergency proclamation be continued.

The public is reminded to stay vigilant on current fire conditions, to adhere to road closures, and follow any evacuation warnings. There is still a significant amount of emergency and recovery personnel in the areas of the fires and the public are asked to drive slowly and yield to emergency personnel in the area.

ALTERNATIVES

The Board may suggest modifications to the resolution so long as the County meets the required timeline for approving the resolution.

OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT

Other agency involvement has been both significant and voluminous. Some of the agencies include, but are not limited to, the Shasta County Department of Public Works, Shasta County Resource Management, Shasta County Fire/CAL FIRE, California Highway Patrol, Redding Police Department, California Office of Emergency Services, California Department of Transportation, Whiskeytown National Park Service, US Forest Service, Anderson Police Department, Redding Fire Department, Happy Valley Fire Department, Mountain Gate Fire Department, Shasta County Marshal, Shasta County Probation Department, and the Bureau of Land Management. County Counsel has approved the resolution as to form.  The recommendation has been reviewed by the County Administrative Office.

FINANCING

The costs associated with this incident are unprecedented for Shasta County and have exceeded the resources available to the impacted local governments. Due to the Governor’s proclamation and the Presidential major disaster declaration, eligible costs are shared between the federal, state, and local governments. The federal share is 75 percent. The remaining 25 percent is shared between the state and local government with the state share being 75 percent. For eligible Carr Fire related costs that have been documented sufficiently for submission to the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)  the final share for the County after those match percentages is 6.25 percent. County staff are working to track both eligible and non-eligible costs so as to better understand all the fiscal impacts of this incident to the County. The full General Fund impact is unknown at this time.