To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Emergency Management; Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Jeffrey DuVall / 565-1152; Christine Sosko / 565-6521
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Terminate Proclamation of Local Emergency Due to the Kincade Fire in the Sonoma County Operational Area
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt Resolution Terminating the Proclamation of Local Emergency issued on October 31, 2019, due to damage arising from the Kincade Fire in the Sonoma County Operational Area.
end
Executive Summary:
This item requests that the Board of Supervisors terminate the October 31, 2019, Proclamation of a Local Emergency in the Sonoma County Operational Area because of the Kincade Fire. The Kincade Fire began on October 23, 2019, during an extreme fire danger exacerbated by mandatory evacuation orders, an unprecedented series of wind events with historic maximum wind speeds, and the corresponding de-energization of large portions of the electric grid in the Sonoma County Operational Area. As required by Government Code section 8630, the Board must review the proclamation of local emergency every 60 days and determine if there is a need for continuing the local emergency. Because all fire debris has now been cleared, staff recommends that the Board terminate the emergency proclamation.
Discussion:
Pacific Gas & Electric ("PG&E") instituted de-energization in the Sonoma County Operational Area beginning at approximately 2:15 pm on October 23, 2019, due to extreme fire danger weather, impacting 260,000 residents. In response, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was activated at approximately 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 23, 2019, to assist with managing the impacts of de-energization.
The Kincade Fire, a fast-moving wildland and urban fire erupted around 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 23, 2019, and caused widespread destruction, burning 77,758 acres and destroying 374 structures, including the loss of 174 homes.
On October 24, 2019, at approximately 9:37 a.m., the Director of Emergency Services proclaimed the Existence of a Local Emergency. The Governor issued an emergency proclamation on October 25, 2019. The Health Officer issued a Proclamation of Local Health Emergency on October 30, 2019. On October 31, 2019, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 19-0473 ratifying the County Administrator’s, proclamation of the existence of a local emergency, in her role as Director of Emergency Services (Sonoma County Government Code 10-3). On November 5, 2019, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 19-0475, ratifying the Health Officer's Proclamation of a Local Health Emergency.
The County initially issued advisory evacuation notices to impacted areas of Sonoma County and, shortly thereafter, issued mandatory evacuation notices to several areas in the path of the fire. As a result, residents were unable to occupy their homes, and business were forced to close. Due to the additional measures taken by PG&E in direct response to risks presented by the Kincade Fire, many businesses were unable to sell or produce products during this time and/or suffered a loss of perishable products.
The County established and supported 21 shelters for 4,850 individuals as well as pets and livestock, assisted with hospital evacuations, and successfully utilized multiple Alert & Warning systems to issue dozens of emergency warnings in both English and Spanish. Roughly 190,000 residents were in the evacuation zones countywide. The County’s real-time incident status map addressed both the fire and the PG&E power shutoff hazards and was viewed over 9.7 million times.
To protect residents from hazardous debris exposure after a wildfire, the Sonoma County Health Officer issued an order advising community members to refrain from entering the burn footprint without personal protective equipment on November 1, 2019. On November 5, 2019, the Board of Supervisors adopted an emergency ordinance requiring authorization from the Department of Health Services, Environmental Health, prior to commencing debris removal work.
Before the fire was extinguished, the County started working closely with State partners to plan for fire debris removal. As a result of the Proclamation of a Local Health Emergency, the County, through the Debris Task Force, entered into an emergency contract with National Response Corporation (NRC) to perform a Household Hazardous Waste Sweep on all parcels burned in the Kincade Fire. The Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) clean-up was completed on February 13, 2020.
Sonoma County Environmental Health has completed the second step of fire debris removal and assisted property owners with this process. Following the Household Hazardous Waste sweep, property owners were required to submit an application and plan to Environmental Health for approval prior to commencing debris removal. The deadline for submission of an application and plan was January 31, 2020. All cleanup activities were to be completed pursuant to standards set forth by the County to ensure the protection of public health. Documentation of adequate clean-up and proper disposal is required. Due to the COVID-19 health emergency and the Shelter-In-Place Orders issued by the Sonoma County Public Health Officer, the deadline for all debris to be removed and soil sampling completed was extended from May 15, 2020, to August 1, 2020.
In August and then again in October 2020, letters were sent to all property owners who had not either received exemptions or completed the paperwork. The August letter advised that they were out of compliance and urged them to complete the debris removal or contact Environmental Health, and the October letter included information about potential enforcement actions. In addition, in that timeframe, Environmental Health Staff reached out to property owners by phone, conducted site visits, took additional updated photos and met with property owners to share any necessary guidance to complete their debris removal process.
As of this writing, out of 229 properties affected by the fire: 1 was cleared through the abatement process; 187 have submitted applications; and 41 have received exemptions from the program (did not present a public health threat).
As a result of these efforts, all fire debris has now been cleared, staff recommend that the Board of Supervisors terminate the October 31, 2019, Proclamation of a Local Emergency in the Sonoma County Operational Area due to the effects of the Kincade Fire as required by Government Code section 8630.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
February 7, 2023: Resolution No. 23-0075 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019.
December 13, 2022. Resolution No. 22-0530 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019.
November 8, 2022. Resolution No. 22-0468 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019.
September 13, 2022. Resolution No. 22-0364 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 days.
May 24, 2022: Resolution No. 22-0226 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 days.
April 5, 2022: Resolution No. 22-0119 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 days.
February 8, 2022: Resolution No. 22-0036 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 days.
December 14, 2021: Resolution No. 21-0514 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 days.
November 2, 2021: Resolution No. 21-0434 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 days.
September 14, 2021: Resolution No. 21-0360 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 days.
July 20, 2021: Resolution No. 21-0292 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 days.
June 8, 2021: Resolution No. 21-0240 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 Days.
April 20, 2021: Resolution No. 21-0160 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 Days.
March 2, 2021: Resolution No. 21-0087 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 Days.
January 5, 2021: Resolution No. 21-0007 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 Days.
November 17, 2020: Resolution No. 20-0426 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 Days.
September 22, 2020: Resolution No. 20-0351 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 Days.
July 28, 2020: Resolution No. 20-0257 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 Days.
June 2, 2020: Resolution No. 20-0186 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 Days.
April 7, 2020: Resolution No. 20-0116 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 Days.
February 11, 2020: Resolution No. 20-0049 Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 Days.
December 17, 2019: Resolution No. 19-0561 Continuing and Supplementing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 31, 2019, for 60 Days.
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
None
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None
Attachments:
Resolution Terminating Kincade Emergency Proclamation
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None