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Trump approves wildfire disaster declaration for California
AN FRANCISCO — The Trump administration declared a “major disaster” in California as the state fights devastating wildfires that have now claimed at least nine lives. The declaration makes federal funds available to residents of Shasta County, where the Carr Fire outside Redding, California, has wiped out entire neighborhoods and forced thousands of evacuations.
The move comes shortly after Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) confirmed one of its employees died in an vehicle-related accident Saturday while working to restore services in Shasta County. The company said Jairus Ayeta, in his 20s, worked as an apprentice lineman and was part of a PG&E crew working in “dangerous terrain” to restore power.
Also Saturday, Gov. Jerry Brown called on President Trump to help California fight and recover from what has been another destructive wildfire season.
Brown, who inspected neighborhoods wiped out by the fire in Redding, said he was confident the president he has clashed with over immigration and pollution policies would send aid, which Mr. Trump did last year when California’s wine country was hit hard.
“The president has been pretty good on helping us in disasters, so I’m hopeful,” said Brown, a Democrat. “Tragedies bring people together.”
The White House said early Sunday morning that the president had approved the disaster declaration.
Mr. Trump tweeted Sunday that the wildfires are “being magnified & made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren’t allowing massive amount of readily available water to be properly utilized.” He said the water is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean.
The president also called for clearing trees to stop the fires from spreading.
Brown’s call for help came shortly before authorities called on residents in Glenn and Colusa counties in Northern California to evacuate as a wildfire there continues to grow.
Cal Fire issued the evacuation order Saturday night for people who live in several parts of the counties, including an area just east of the boundary of Mendocino National Forest. The blaze, known as the Mendocino Complex fire, has grown to 357 square miles and is 32 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.
The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts hot and windy conditions to persist in Northern California.
There are 18 major fires burning throughout California, authorities said. In all, they have destroyed hundreds of homes, killed nine people — including four firefighters — and shut down Yosemite National Park.
“Park administrators and fire managers have made the decision to extend the current park closures indefinitely. Fire managers are continuously assessing conditions in the area and will work directly with and will immediately advise park managers as conditions change and it becomes safe to reopen,” the agency said in a statement.
The park service says the parts of Yosemite that will remain closed include Yosemite Valley, El Portal Road, Wawona Road, Big Oak Flat Road, Glacier Point, the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias, Wawona Campground, Crane Flat Campground and Tamarack Campground.
Hundreds of colleagues, family and friends attended a memorial service Saturday in Fresno for National Forest Service Capt. Brian Hughes, the Fresno Bee reported. Hughes was killed July 29 by a falling tree while fighting the wildfire at Yosemite National Park.
Firefighters have achieved 41 percent containment of that forest fire.
The fire had reached into remote areas of the country’s third-oldest national park. Workers who live in Yosemite’s popular Valley region were ordered to leave Friday because of inaccessible roads.
The biggest blazes continue to burn north of San Francisco, including twin wildfires fueled by dry vegetation and hot, windy weather. Those fires destroyed 55 homes and forced thousands of residents to flee their neighborhoods about 100 miles north of the city. They have grown to a combined 300 square miles.
The two fires have charred an area of the forested, rural area five times the size of San Francisco and were only 27 percent contained. Thousands of people remain evacuated.
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CBS/AP August 5, 2018, 8:27 AM
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