PROCLAMATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY

WHEREAS on July 29, 2022, the McKinney Fire began burning in Klamath National Forest near the Pacific Crest Trail and has since spread onto state land in Siskiyou County; and

WHEREAS the McKinney Fire has burned more than 29,000 acres and continues to burn; and

WHEREAS the McKinney Fire has damaged and destroyed several homes and threatens the area around Yreka, necessitating the evacuation of more than eighteen hundred residents; and

WHEREAS the China 2 and Evans fires in Siskiyou County merged, burning more than three hundred acres and causing an evacuation warning for more than two hundred residents; and

WHEREAS these wildfires have forced road closures and continue to threaten critical infrastructure, including water and communication sites, private timberlands, and other structures; and

WHEREAS overnight thunderstorms and lightning, high temperatures, extreme drought conditions, dry fuels, winds, and continued critical fire weather conditions have increased the intensity and spread of these wildfires; and

WHEREAS the combined effects of these wildfires, other fires, and fire weather conditions are compounding impacts on firefighting and other response resources; and

WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code section 8558(b), I find that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist due to these wildfires in Siskiyou County; and

WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code section 8558(b), I find that the conditions caused by these wildfires, by reason of their magnitude, are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single local government and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to appropriately respond; and

WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code section 8625(c), I find that local authority is inadequate to cope with the magnitude of the damage caused by these wildfires; and

WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code section 8571, I find that strict compliance with various statutes and regulations specified in this Proclamation would prevent, hinder, or delay mitigation of the effects of these wildfires.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the State Constitution and statutes, including the California Emergency Services Act, and in particular, Government Code section 8625, HEREBY PROCLAIM A STATE OF EMERGENCY to exist in Siskiyou County due to these wildfires.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:

1. All agencies of the state government utilize and employ state personnel, equipment, and facilities for the performance of any and all activities consistent with the direction of the Office of Emergency Services and the State Emergency Plan. Also, all residents are to obey the direction of emergency officials with regard to this emergency in order to protect their safety.
2. The Office of Emergency Services shall provide assistance to local governments, if appropriate, under the authority of the California Disaster Assistance Act, Government Code section 8680 et seq., and California Code of Regulations, Title 19, section 2900 et seq.
3. As necessary to assist local governments and for the protection of public health and the environment, state agencies shall enter into contracts to arrange for the procurement of materials, goods, and services necessary to quickly assist with the response to and recovery from the impacts of these fires. Applicable provisions of the Government Code and the Public Contract Code, including but not limited to travel, advertising, and competitive bidding requirements, are suspended to the extent necessary to address the effects of these fires.
4. The provisions of Unemployment Insurance Code section 1253 imposing a one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance applicants are suspended as to all applicants who are unemployed as a direct result of these fires and who apply for unemployment insurance benefits during the time period beginning July 29, 2022, and ending on the close of business on January 30, 2023, and who are otherwise eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
5. Vehicle Code sections 9265(a), 9867, 14901, 14902, and 15255.2, requiring the imposition of fees, are suspended with regard to any request for replacement of an identification card, driver’s license card, vehicle registration certificate, certificate of title, or registration stickers, by any individual who lost such records as a result of these fires. Such records shall be replaced without charge.
6. The provisions of Vehicle Code sections 4602 and 5902, requiring the timely registration or transfer of title are suspended with regard to any registration or transfer of title by any resident of Siskiyou County, who is unable to comply with those requirements as a result of these fires. The time covered by this suspension shall not be included in calculating any late penalty pursuant to Vehicle Code section 9554.
7. Health and Safety Code sections 103525.5 and 103625, and Penal Code section 14251, requiring the imposition of fees are hereby suspended with regard to any request for copies of certificates of birth, death, marriage, and dissolution of marriage records, by any individual who lost such records as a result of these fires. Such copies shall be provided without charge.
8. Any fairgrounds that the Office of Emergency Services determines are suitable to assist individuals impacted by these wildfires shall be made available to the Office of Emergency Services pursuant to the Emergency Services Act, Government Code section 8589. The Office of Emergency Services shall notify the fairgrounds of the intended use and may immediately utilize the fairgrounds without the fairground board of directors' approval.
9. The California National Guard may be mobilized under Military and Veterans Code section 146 to support disaster response and relief efforts, as directed by Cal OES, and to coordinate with all relevant state agencies and state and local emergency responders and law enforcement within the impacted areas. Sections 147 and 188 of the Military and Veterans Code are applicable during the period of participation in this mission, exempting the California Military Department from applicable procurement rules for specified emergency purchases, and those rules are hereby suspended.

I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this Proclamation be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this Proclamation.

This Proclamation is not intended to, and does not, create any rights or benefits, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, against the State of California, its agencies, departments, entities, officers, employees, or any other person.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 30th day of July 2022.

GAVIN NEWSOM
Governor of California

ATTEST:

SHIRLEY WEBER, PH.D.
Secretary of State