A Comprehensive Look: Landmark COVID-19 Relief Program Great Plates Delivered Wraps Up Operations
As the coronavirus crisis eases here in California, the Great Plates Delivered Program will officially come to a close on July 9, 2021. This statewide project that supported both sequestered seniors and struggling food vendors during the pandemic...
Camp Fire Recovery: Honey Run Road One Step Closer to Reopening Following Successful Hazardous Tree Removal
As California prepares for what lies ahead with the arrival of summer and the peak fire months, the recovery work left behind in the wake of last year’s historic wildfire season pushes on. For Butte County in particular, cleanup continues in areas...
FEMA Updates Funeral Assistance Policy as California Hits Nearly $40 Million Funds Disbursed
On June 29, 2021, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) amended their funeral assistance policy to include COVID-19 related fatalities that occurred in the early months of the pandemic. This policy change will allow applicants to submit a...
Cal OES Bids Farewell to Pioneering Charter Member of California, National USAR Systems
Harold Schapelhouman, chief of the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, and friend of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) is retiring after decades of dedicated service. Cal OES Director Mark Ghilarducci, along with Cal...
Lava Fire and Tennant Fire Shelter Information (Updated Lava Fire Resources Added)
LAVA FIRE OVERVIEW: Lava Fire started 3.5 miles northeast of Weed and 4.5 miles southeast of Lake Shastina on June 25, 2021 As of 2 p.m. June 30, 2021, Lava Fire has grown to 17,591 Acres As of 2 p.m. June 30, 2021, Lava Fire is 19% contained...
***UPDATE*** Cal OES Prepositions Firefighting Personnel in Nevada County as Fire Weather Conditions Persist
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) Fire and Rescue Division is actively coordinating with counties statewide to preposition fire apparatus and personnel to augment local resources in preparation for the upcoming...
2020 Statewide Wildfires Debris Removal Update: Major Milestones Hit in Communities Throughout California
SACRAMENTO – As properties enrolled in California’s statewide Consolidated Debris Removal Program continue to be cleared of remains from the 2020 wildfires, major local progress has been reported in local communities. Although most properties still...
California Secures Federal Assistance to Support Response to Lava Fire in Siskiyou County
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that California has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the Lava...
Don’t Be THAT Neighbor: Firework Rules & Restrictions
After a year off from professional Fourth of July celebrations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, holiday traditions big and small will return to California neighborhoods this year. Fireworks go on sale in California on June 28, and nearly 300...
***UPDATE*** Cal OES Extends Prepositioned Firefighting Resources and Personnel in Santa Barbara County
As fire weather conditions remain in Santa Barbara County, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has extended the prepositioned critical fire resources in that area. The prepositioned fire resources include: Santa Barbara...
California to Send Additional COVID-19 Supplies to South Asian Countries
Editor's Note: This information has been updated as of June 4, 2021 SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) announced the state has sent additional Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to South Asian...
Update: COVID-19 Funeral Assistance
The COVID-19 pandemic has been incredibly difficult for families, especially those who lost a loved one to the virus. This unexpected and sometimes sudden loss places not only an emotional toll but a financial one on family members. Through the...
Podcast #86: Come Along with Us on Our Walking Tour of Damage and Recovery of Big Basin Redwoods State Park
This episode of All Hazards (#86) takes you on a walking tour of Big Basin Redwoods State Park. The CZU Complex fire burned nearly all of the 18,000-acre park beginning in August, 2020, a significant portion of the 86,000 acres that burned in the...
Cal OES Prepositions Firefighting Resources and Personnel in Three Southern California Counties as Red Flag Conditions Remain in Effect
As fire weather conditions remain in Southern California, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has strategically prepositioned critical fire resources to include strike teams of fire engines, firefighters, hand crews,...
State Officials Provide Resources for Media Coverage of Heat Wave
SACRAMENTO – As California continues to grapple with the widespread heat event impacting much of the west coast, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) is providing updated resources to reporters covering the heat event....