To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): County Administrator and Emergency Management Department
Staff Name and Phone Number: Sheryl Bratton, 565-2241 Christopher Godley, 565-2052
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Continue Proclamation of Local Emergency Due to the Sonoma Complex Fires
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Recommended Actions:
Recommended action
Adopt a Resolution Continuing the Proclamation of Local Emergency Issued on October 9, 2017, for another 60 Days Due to Damage Arising from the Sonoma Complex Fires.
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Executive Summary:
This item requests the Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution approving a 60-day continuation of the October 9, 2017, Proclamation of a Local Emergency in the Sonoma County Operational Area due to the effects of the Sonoma Complex Fires. The Complex Fires began on Sunday, October 8, 2017, causing extreme property damage and health and safety concerns. The County Administrator proclaimed the Existence of a Local Emergency on October 9, 2017, and the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 17-0389 ratifying that proclamation on October 10, 2017. The fires left a large debris field in their wake. The removal of debris from a wildfire disaster creates unique concerns due to the potential presence of hazardous materials and the large scale of the incident and will require significant resources to remove. As long as the residential and commercial fire debris remains on the ground and the vegetation has not returned to pre-fire conditions, it poses an imminent and extensive threat to public health and safety, the environment (including creating serious concerns for water quality and supply due to the presence of hazardous materials and the damage to sewer service laterals), public infrastructure, and undamaged property. 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.
Discussion:
The Complex Fires began on Sunday, October 8, 2017. In response, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was activated at approximately 12:00 a.m. on Monday, October 9, 2017, to assist with managing the impacts. In the early morning hours on Monday, the County issued advisory evacuation notices to various impacted areas of Sonoma County. Shelter was made available at various locations throughout the County, and first responders were actively engaged in multiple areas throughout the County as the complex fires’ advanced.
The County Administrator/Director of Emergency Services issued a Proclamation of Existence of Local Emergency in Sonoma County Operational Area in the early morning hours of Monday, October 9, 2017, as soon as reports of quickly moving fires and health and safety concerns arrived. Later that day, the County Administrator supplemented that Proclamation and requested state and federal assistance. The Board of Supervisors ratified the County Administrator’s Proclamation of the Existence of a Local Emergency on October 10, 2017. California Government Code section 8630 of Article 14, Local Emergency, of Chapter 7 of the Emergency Services Act requires that the County review the need for continuing the local emergency at least once every 60 days until the governing body terminates the local emergency.
The scope of disaster caused by the fast-moving fire and widespread scale of the destruction instigated the Governor of the State of California to proclaim a State of Emergency (declaring eligibility for State assistance) and brought about the President of the United States to issue a Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of California, making the Complex Fires eligible for Federal assistance. At the time, the Sonoma Complex Fires resulted in the most devastating wildfires in the history of the State of California. In Sonoma County alone, the fires caused the death of at least 24 people, charred 110,720 acres, destroyed 6,950 structures (including 5,143 housing structures), and displaced more than 100,000 Sonoma County residents.
The Sonoma Complex Fires left a large debris field in their wake, which creates unique removal concerns due to the potential presence of hazardous materials and the large scale of the incident and poses a threat to public health and safety. Debris cleanup has proceeded via both public and private cleanup programs. The total number of properties included within the debris removal program was 4,888, including 3,674 properties that participated in the public-cleanup program, and 1,214 properties that participated in the private program.
The public debris clean-up program is complete. In the public program, 722 properties were evaluated by the California Office of Emergency Services for over-excavation and 381 determined eligible and have been backfilled. Three properties remain in the private program.
As long as any fire debris remains to be cleared, it poses an imminent and extensive threat to public health and safety, the environment (including creating serious concerns for water quality and supply due to the presence of hazardous materials and the damage to sewer service laterals), public infrastructure, and undamaged property.
In addition, the widlfires ravaged hillsides leaving large swaths with adequate vegetation, creating threats of erosion and landslides.
The cleanup efforts in Sonoma County were aided by a relatively light rainy season in 2017-18. However, major winter storms have buffeted the region in 2019, including in the burn zone. Slope failures have impacted infrastructure and threatened waterways demonstrating the need for continued erosion control efforts to address secondary hazards post-fire. Additional anticipated spring rains pose further threats to damaged infrastructure and the surrounding natural environment.
The effects of the Sonoma Complex Fires have dramatically exacerbated the County’s pre-existing housing crisis by destroying approximately 5,200 housing structures and leaving thousands of residents to find alternative housing.
Staff recommend that the Board adopt the attached Resolution finding that the severity and pervasiveness of the Sonoma Complex Fires disaster poses an ongoing and imminent threat to public safety and undamaged property that warrants the need to continue the local emergency as authorized by Government Code section 8630.
Prior Board Actions:
April 2, 2019: Board adopted Resolution No. 19-0134 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
January 8, 2019: Board adopted Resolution No. 19-0007 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
December 11, 2018: Board adopted Resolution No. 18-0514 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
November 13, 2018: Board adopted Resolution No. 18-0490 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
October 23, 2018: Board adopted Resolution No. 18-0450 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
September 25, 2018: Board adopted Resolution No. 18-0395 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
August 28, 2018: Board adopted Resolution No. 18-0337 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
August 7, 2018: Board adopted Resolution No. 18-0301 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
July 10, 2018: Board adopted Resolution No. 18-0266 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
June 11, 2018: Board adopted Resolution No. 18-0248 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
June 5, 2018: Board adopted Resolution No. 18-0224 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
May 8, 2018: Board adopted Resolution No. 18-0161 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
April 17, 2018: Board adopted Resolution No. 18-0131 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
March 20, 2018: Board adopted Resolution No. 18-0095 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
February 20, 2018: Board adopted Resolution No. 18-0068 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
February 13, 2018: Board adopted Resolution N0. 18-0056 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
January 23, 2018: Board adopted Resolution No. 18-0022 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
December 29, 2017: Board adopted Resolution No. 17-0515 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
December 5, 2017: Board adopted Resolution No. 17-0457 Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires
November 7, 2017: Board adopted Resolution Modifying Resolution No. 17-0839 To Comply With Federal Assistance Requirements and Declaring the Need For Continuing The Local Emergency Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 Due To The Sonoma Complex Fires.
October 10, 2017: Board adopted Resolution No. 17-0389 ratifying the County Administrator’s proclamation of the existence of a local emergency with the Sonoma County Operation Area.
Fiscal Summary
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
Attachments:
Emergency Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board: