Golden State Today

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order to bolster the response and recovery efforts for several fires currently affecting California. The fires include the Thompson Fire in Butte County, the Park Fire in Butte and Tehama counties, the Borel Fire in Kern County, the Line Fire in San Bernardino County, the Bridge Fire in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, and the Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside counties.

The executive order is designed to expedite debris removal and cleanup from the Borel, Park, and Thompson fires. It also aims to ensure adequate staffing for emergency responses by waiving work hour limitations for retired annuitants involved with the Thompson and Line fires. Additionally, it supports local educational agencies by waiving outdoor physical education requirements during periods of poor air quality caused by the Airport, Bridge, and Line fires.

Governor Newsom had previously declared a state of emergency in multiple counties due to these fires. He visited Incident Command Posts for some of these incidents to meet with first responders and assess firefighting efforts.

California has obtained Fire Management Assistance Grants from FEMA to ensure resources are available for suppressing these fires. Governor Newsom also requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration last month to aid recovery efforts in areas affected by the Park and Borel fires.