Lassen County Sheriff Dean Growdon, at the scene of the Sugar Fire in Doyle this morning, signed a Proclamation of Local Emergency for the County and forwarded a request to Governor Newsom that he do the same, making available California Disaster Assistance Act assistance and relief programs to those affected by the fire.
Here is the text of the Proclamation
WHEREAS Lassen County Code Section 11.14.060 empowers the Lassen County Sheriff and Director of Emergency Services to proclaim the existence of a local emergency when the County is affected or likely to be affected by a public calamity and the Board of Supervisors is not in session; and
WHEREAS the Sheriff and Director of the County of Lassen does hereby find that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons, business and property, public lands and resources including, but not limited to grazing lands, watersheds, timber resources and public infrastructure have arisen within the County of Lassen, caused by fires arising from the Plumas National Forest on June 30, 2021 and July 2, 2021, and burning into the County of Lassen and causing damage and evacuations of communities throughout the county; and,
WHEREAS ongoing response, assessments and mutual aid have diverted local resources from day to day operations, and the continued threat of catastrophic wildfire places Lassen County at significant risk, beyond control of personnel, services, equipment and budget of the County and state presently; and
WHEREAS the initial response over the course of several days by the USDA Forest Service was inadequate to timely and appropriately control the fire when it started; and
WHEREAS the County of Lassen and Emergency Services are currently operating under a Local Emergency relating to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS the Board of Supervisors of the County of Lassen is not in session and cannot be immediately called into session.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIM pursuant to state law and Lassen County Code that a local state of emergency exists within and throughout Lassen County as of July 10, 2021; that a local emergency now exists throughout the County of Lassen.
BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIM AND ORDERED that during the existence of said local emergency, the powers, functions, and duties of the emergency organization of the County of Lassen shall be those prescribed by state law, local ordinance, and resolutions of the County of Lassen; that this emergency proclamation shall, by operation of law, expire in seven (7) days after issuance unless confirmed and ratified by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Lassen; and
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIM AND ORDERED that this Proclamation be forwarded to the Governor of the State of California with a request that he also proclaim the County of Lassen to be in a State of Emergency and that he makes available California Disaster Assistance Act disaster assistance and relief programs to Lassen County and further that the Governor immediately request and support a Presidential Declaration.
