Rim Fire: State Of Emergency
View VideoSonora, CA — The Tuolumne County Supervisors are awaiting word from Governor Jerry Brown.
This afternoon the Board held a special meeting and voted to ask the Governor to call for immediate State of Emergency related to the Rim Fire.
Additional outside fire resources have been arriving by air and ground all throughout the afternoon. The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office continues to recommend that the residents in the Pine Mountain Lake subdivision leave their homes and find a safer location. There are approximately 3,000 homes in that area. This afternoon, officials also evacuated Camp Mather, Diamond O, and Hetch Hetchy Proper.
An evacuation center remains open at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds.
Also, the Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified School District has cancelled classes in the district for the remainder of the week. Tuolumne County Office of Education buses for Special Ed will not be running this week.
The following is the complete resolution approved this afternoon by the Tuolumne County Supervisors:
RESOLUTION
OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF TUOLUMNE
WHEREAS, In accordance with Chapter 2.40 ofthe County of Tuolumne Ordinance Code, which empowers the Director of Emergency Services to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency when Tuolumne County is affected or likely to be affected by a public disaster and the County Board of Supervisors is not in session; and
WHEREAS, on August 19, 2013, the Director of Emergency Services of the County of Tuolumne declared that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of person and property had arisen in the County due to the Rim wildland fire; and
WHEREAS, a Local State of Emergency was declared by the Director of Emergency Services on August 19 and then ratified by the full Board of Supervisors on August 20; and
WHEREAS, the Rim Fire is now directly threatening various communities and businesses within the County and is beyond our capabilities.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors does hereby request the Governor of the State of California Proclaim a State of Emergency.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the County of Tuolumne also requests the State of California to waive regulations that may hinder response and recovery efforts, to make available recovery assistance under the California Disaster Assistance Act, and to expedite access to federal resources and any other appropriate federal relief programs.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED AND ORDERED that the local State of Emergency shall be deemed to continue to exist until its termination is proclaimed by the Board of Supervisors, County of Tuolumne, State of California.
A special thanks to our community news partners Aaron Watterson, Professional Video, David Wilkinson, David Wheat, Paul Epp, Linda King, Sylvia Fraga, Lance Seagraves for sending in photos of the Rim Fire. They can be emailed to news@clarkebroadcasting.com.
