With nearly half-million acres scorched, wildfire emergencies declared in California
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for areas affected by two wildfires Friday night, saying they've destroyed homes and threatened infrastructure.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for areas affected by two wildfires Friday night, saying they've destroyed homes and threatened infrastructure.
The proclamations cover Butte and Tehama counties — home to the massive Park Fire — and Plumas County, home to the much smaller Gold Complex Fire.
The proclamations ease access to unemployment benefits and waive fees to replace lost driver’s licenses and other records, among other benefits for fire victims, the governor's office said.
The Park Fire started at a park in Chico on Wednesday and rapidly moved into wildlands to the north, blossoming to over 307,000 acres with no containment as of Saturday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. This officially makes the Park Fire California's eighth largest wildfire by acreage, according Cal Fire statistics.
It is the largest of the state's active fires on Saturday morning.
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