The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors unanimously on Wednesday unanimously proclaimed a local emergency as wildfires burned near Loma Mar and South Coast areas. The emergency proclamation makes the County eligible to receive federal funds for some costs associated with the response and “additional flexibility for staffing and purchasing,” the County said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the series of lightning-caused fires across San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties had burned over 10,000 acres, threatened over 6,000 structures and prompted the evacuation of over 22,000 people. About 1,000 residents were impacted in the San Mateo County communities of Loma Mar, Dearborn Park (west of Loma Mar), Pescadero Creek County Park area and other neighborhoods and communities, County officials said. An evacuation center has been established at Pescadero High School.
The most current evacuation information can be viewed here.
“My hope is that everyone takes these evacuation orders seriously so that we can minimize the loss of property and maximize helping individuals and families stay out of harm’s way,” Supervisor Don Horsley, whose District 3 encompasses the South Coast, said in a statement. “We are working hard to give everyone plenty of warning so that they can secure their valuables and their pets and in many cases their livestock. The threat from this is very real and my heart goes out to everyone impacted by it.”
For an overview of local response to the wildfires, visit here.
PHOTO: The San Mateo County’s Emergency Operations Center staff is working around the clock juggling two emergencies — response to the COVID-19 pandemic and now the August Lightning Complex fires. It is working with CAL Fire, local fire agencies and the County of Santa Cruz to notify residents about impending threats, establish evacuation routes and minimize the extent of the fire (Credit: San Mateo County).
