The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday ratified a local emergency declaration issued following the eruption of the series of Southland wildfires, adding to state and federal emergency proclamations.
The proclamations were declared to provide immediate access to recovery resources and funds. Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the board chair, signed a county emergency declaration last week, and it was ratified by the full board on Tuesday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Palisades Fire had burned nearly 24,000 acres with 17% containment, and the Eaton Fire had burned over 14,000 acres with 35% containment, according to Cal Fire. Those are the two biggest blazes among numerous fires that broke out in the area.
The death toll from all the fires was 24, while more than 10,000 structures believed to have been destroyed or damaged.
The board on Tuesday also ratified a curfew order issued on Thursday limiting public movement from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in evacuation zones and a Local Health Emergency declaration from Friday.
The county CEO was asked to report back in five days with a plan to direct unspent funding from other departments and programs into fire recovery assistance.
Board Chair Supervisor Kathryn Barger said she was “still in shock,” having visited areas in her district affected by the Eaton Fire.
“Altadena has always represented a rich and diverse community that reflected ethnic, economic and cultural diversities,” she said, highlighting history of the community started from the 1800s.
Barger and fellow supervisor Lindsey Horvath stressed the availability of resources and funding from FEMA and the county. Barger said FEMA has already received more than 40,000 assistance applications and urged others to sign up, saying impacted residents were eligible for funds up to $43,600.
Residents were encouraged to file a Misfortune and Calamity form with the county to have property taxes reassessed and to reach out to FEMA assistance centers to begin a reimbursement process.
Horvath, whose district was affected by the Palisades Fire, said ratifying the emergency was necessary to mobilize resources and to “coordinate response that support the safety, health and well-being of everyone impacted.”
Horvath added, “The economic and emotional toll on our communities is immense and recovery will require a unified effort from all levels of government.”
The local emergency status will remain in effect until the termination is proclaimed by the board.
The Department of Economic Opportunity, the CEO and the city of Los Angeles were asked to coordinate all economic and workforce relief initiatives and hire any third-party assistance to increase awareness around Unemployment Insurance and Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
The board directed the DEO to report back to the board with a plan to collect state, federal and outside funding and disburse it to support economic recovery in the county.
The Department of Consumer and Business Affairs was also directed to increase awareness and ensure strict enforcement of anti-price gouging laws and worker protections.
Supervisor Holly Mitchell brought forth a related motion on Tuesday, but withdrew it upon her fellow supervisors reassuring the original motion was amended to also focus on an “equity-based approach” to economic recovery.
Mitchell’s motion had called for establishing two dedicated funds:
— a Business Interruption Fund to provide financial assistance to businesses experiencing operational disruptions from the fire, and
— a Worker Recovery Fund to support workers who may not be eligible for unemployment benefits, including self-employed individuals and independent contractors.
Some residents spoke at the board meeting to criticize the county emergency declaration motion, saying the county was not doing enough to ensure equity-based recovery and help marginalized communities.