Gearing Up For Next Phase Of Washington Fire Cleanup
Sonora, CA — Cleanup continues on the 136-acre Washington Fire that ignited on August 26 between Sonora and Jamestown.
Tuolumne County was able to access state resources to help with it after Governor Gavin Newsom signed a state of emergency declaration on October 22. Phase one included the state and its contractors coming in to remove any household hazardous waste that posed a health hazard.
Phase two will include removing hazardous trees and debris piles. The board of supervisors will discuss an urgency ordinance to move that process forward at today’s meeting.
Office of Emergency Services Coordinator, Dore Bietz, says, “It is required by the state (approved local urgency ordinance) in order for them to do debris removal.”
Right of entry forms have been sent out to all of the impacted property owners and they would need to sign it to “opt-in” to the program for state contractors to be allowed to come in and do the debris removal.
The urgency ordinance requires a 4/5 vote of the board. It will be discussed at today’s meeting that starts at 9am.
