 As CAL FIRE begins to lift the Caldor Fire evacuation orders and warnings in certain areas of the County, many of you are wondering when and how you'll be notified that it's safe to return home and many of you are wondering why the evacuation orders are in place if there's no visible fire in your area.
First, please be assured that the fire teams and law enforcement teams are working in tandem with water and power agencies to do their best to get you home as soon as it's safely possible. And in today's morning briefing, the Incident Commanders, operations leaders, and meteorologists all noted that they are constantly monitoring the fire activity to both fight the fire itself and to determine when it's safe to repopulate areas.
While you may not have or see fire directly in line with your property, CAL FIRE officials today emphasized that a single ember can land a half mile to a mile away and spark a hotspot that can quickly increase the fire's scope or change its path. They also noted that 75% of embers are sparking fires. And while that's down from the 95% of a couple days ago, it is still a serious threat.
Additionally, even after the fire has been controlled in a certain area, the job of mopping up begins, including taking all the hoses out, clearing debris, checking the power lines and ensuring the area is fully safe for repopulation. When an evacuation order is downgraded to a warning, it is possible for citizens to repopulate that area. However, it does not mean that the “all clear” has been given. Citizens should still use caution and be aware of the possibility of new evacuations until the warning has been lifted. The last thing that CAL FIRE wants to do is to declare an “all-clear” only to have to reissue an evacuation warning or order.
I know these times are extremely stressful, especially the component of not knowing when we'll be allowed back home. I'm asking you to trust in the professionals who are working in your best interest to get you home as quickly as is safely possible.
If you were notified by CODE RED about your evacuation, you will be notified again by CODE RED when it is safe to return; otherwise CAL FIRE, EL Dorado County Sheriff and the County will post notices to social media.
Until then, please don't hesitate to reach out to my office if there is anything I am able to do.
Take care, stay informed and stay safe.
~Sue
On behalf of the County of El Dorado Veterans' Affairs Commission, El Dorado Community Foundation is pleased to announce a funding opportunity for nonprofits that support El Dorado County Veterans. Grant applications of up to $5,000 will be accepted through September 30, 2021.
Funding may be requested for a broad range of services that span the spectrum of veteran needs. Please click here to apply. Grant recipients will be notified and receive funding in December 2021.
If you have any questions, please email: kathy@eldoradocf.org.
Caldor Fire Relief Funds Deadline September 4th
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Application deadline for the Caldor Fire Relief ends on Saturday, September 4 at 5:00 pm. The Caldor Fire Relief Fund (TAHOE AREA) was set up on August 29, 2021 in response to the Caldor wildfire that caused evacuation orders in the Tahoe Basin as it moved west. This fund was created to help with immediate relief needs for EDC community members who live in the Tahoe area directly impacted by the fire. Please apply to this fund ONLY if you are in dire need of assistance! We have thousands of households who have had to evacuate...please think of your neighbor.
PLEASE BE AWARE, DEPENDING ON EVACUATION ORDERS & AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING, PRIORITY FOR FUNDING WILL CHANGE. To learn more, go to the following link: El Dorado Community Foundation (eldoradocf.org)
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Evacuated & Need Help? |
The SJCLT Board has approved emergency support to our Sierra Garden Apartment tenants, which are all low-income, and our SJCLT low-income members that have been evacuated and need some emergency help. Eligible tenants and SJCLT members can receive up to $500. Payments will be made via PayPal so an email or mobile number will be required.
For more information or to apply go to: contact@saintjosephclt.org or jimmeiers@saintjosephclt.org
How to See if Your Home was Damaged in a Wildfire
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Californians who have been evacuated by wildfires consuming the northern part of the state want to know if they have a home to return to.
Cal Fire has teamed up with local sheriff's departments to survey fire damage and take photos of homes and structures in the area in order to keep people updated.
That information is uploaded online and available to the public.
Instructions
- Click on this link that directs you to the CAL FIRE Forestry Map
- A black box will pop up on your screen. Check that you agree to the terms and then click OK.
- Type your address into the search bar on the top left of the screen.
- Click your home or structure on the map to see if there's damage.
- For some structures, there's also a photo available.
- If your home or structure has not been identified by an icon, it has not yet been identified by teams on the ground.
The information on the map is updated daily at 9:00 p.m.
 Photo by Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images
Caldor Fire Relief: How You Can Help
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As we are all watching the Caldor Fire situation, many people are asking how they can help. Although firefighters and first responders greatly appreciate the generosity and kindness of donations, firefighting agencies are fully supplied with everything they need. Donations from the public are logistically complicated to accept and firefighting agencies do not have the capacity to do so.
If you would like to offer assistance to those affected by the Caldor Fire, donations are best directed towards evacuees. Here are funds that are helping victims of the Caldor Fire:
El Dorado Community Foundation – The El Dorado County Community Foundation set up a Caldor Fire Fund. All donations go to families and individuals impacted by the fire. You can donate here.
The American Red Cross – The American Red Cross is staffing evacuation centers and providing support for evacuees of the Caldor Fire. You can donate here.
Placer Food Bank – The Placer Food Bank is on the front lines of emergency food response/distribution to those impacted by the River and Caldor Fires. You can donate here.
Food Bank of Northern Nevada – The Food Bank of Northern Nevada is offering food assistance for Caldor Fire evacuees. You can donate here.
Monitor Incident Information – Stay up to date on the current acreage, containment statistics, evacuation information, and more by visiting the incident link tree. For the latest Caldor Incident information, attend a live CAL FIRE AEU community meeting daily at 5PM at www.facebook.com/CALFIREAEU.
Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, will join El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ed Manansala to gain a first-hand perspective of how the Caldor Fire is impacting schools in the area and to offer support to displaced residents, as provided by the California Department of Education Foundation’s (CDEF) Emergency Response Fund.
At the Placerville Library, Thurmond will share donations of books and gift cards that may be used for food, gas, hotel, or other needs by families affected by the wildfire. Program staff will showcase the family supports and student tutoring services offered to those displaced by the closure of seven school districts in the county. The El Dorado County Community Hub program, a partnership among First 5 El Dorado, the County Library, and the El Dorado County Office of Education (EDCOE), provides these offerings thanks to the support of volunteer educators and leadership of EDCOE’s Elizabeth Blakemore, Director of Early Learning and Family Support, and Jesus Cordova, Bilingual Family Engagement Specialist.
Superintendent Thurmond will visit Caldor Fire Incident Command at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds to receive a briefing from Incident Commander Jeff Veik of Cal Fire before joining a meeting of the superintendents of El Dorado County’s 15 school districts at the El Dorado County Office of Education. The gathering of district leaders will provide Thurmond with updates and first-hand accounts of fire-related school closures and evacuations, as well as a COVID-19 briefing from Dr. Nancy Williams, El Dorado County Public Health Officer.
Donations to CDEF disaster relief can be made to the CDEF GoFundMe page. To support El Dorado County educators who have been impacted by the Caldor Fire, visit the Emergency Assistance for EDC Educators Fund which has been established by the El Dorado Community Foundation.
We respectfully ask that media do not attend this visit due to COVID and security restrictions. A follow-up news release will be shared. However, media inquiries and photo requests may be made through contacting EDCOE’s Director of Communications Dina Gentry at 530-295-2411 or by email at dgentry@edcoe.org, or CDE Communications at communications@cde.ca.gov.
President Biden declared that an emergency exists in the State of California and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the Caldor Fire beginning on August 14, 2021, and continuing.
The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, and Placer.
Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.
Deanne Criswell, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Dolph A. Diemont as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV
Commissioner’s Notices apply to residents living in or near Governor-declared wildfire emergencies in counties across Northern California
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced that he has issued notices to insurance companies alerting them to cease non-renewals and cancellations of insurance coverage for communities with wildfire emergencies – or risk being in violation of California law. His notices cover homeowners’ and renters’ insurance policyholders living near major wildfires included in emergency declarations by Governor Newsom.
Last year, Commissioner Lara protected more than 2.4 million policyholders from non-renewal or cancellations for one year following the largest wildfires in the state’s history. His actions covered those living within the perimeter of a declared wildfire disaster or adjoining ZIP codes under a law he authored in 2018.
These notices represent the preliminary step in protecting policyholders from non-renewal or cancellation following wildfire emergencies. Once each fire perimeter is identified, Commissioner Lara will issue a Bulletin identifying ZIP codes that will be subject to the one-year moratorium. Commissioner Lara has already issued a Bulletin that protects more than 25,000 policyholders in Lassen, Plumas, and Siskiyou counties covered under Governor Newsom’s July 16 emergency declaration for the Lava Fire and the Beckwourth Complex Fire.
“Governor Newsom’s emergency actions during this wildfire season provide additional assistance for survivors along with triggering insurance protections under a law passed in 2018 to allow people to keep their insurance as they recover,” said Insurance Commissioner Lara, who authored SB 824 when he served in the State Senate. “I will continue to work with the Governor’s Administration to give people much-needed breathing room as they get back on their feet.”
The Department of Insurance is collaborating with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to identify additional wildfire perimeters for any fires where there is a declaration of a state of emergency, including Governor Newsom’s July 23, August 5, August 10, August 17, and August 30 Declarations affecting parts of Alpine, Butte, El Dorado, Lassen, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity counties.
Consumers can go to the California Department of Insurance’s website to see if their ZIP code is included in the current moratorium and to read his notices to insurance companies. The Department will update this web page as additional ZIP codes are protected in the future.
The Commissioner’s ability to issue moratoriums is a result of a California law he authored in 2018 while serving as state senator, after learning of insurance companies’ practices from wildfire survivors across the state. The law is intended to provide temporary relief from non-renewals due to wildfire risk to residents living within or adjacent to a declared wildfire disaster, even if they suffered no property damage. Those who suffered a total loss have additional protection from non-renewal under existing state law.
The measure is part of a larger solution for homeowners and wildfire survivors that includes working to increase insurance protections and increasing market competition to help protect consumers.
This is the third consecutive year that Commissioner Lara has implemented the moratorium law.
Here's How:
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BOARDS, COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS
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FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION
One Vacancy
(District V Residency Required)
Description: The Fish and Wildlife Commission is advisory to the Board of Supervisors on matters affecting the conservation of fish and wildlife within the jurisdiction of the Board of Supervisors, makes recommendations to Board of Supervisors regarding expenditures of funds for fish and wildlife.
Term for this Vacancy: Fill existing term till January 1, 2023
CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
TAHOE RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT
One Vacancy
(District V Residency required)
Description: The purpose of the Tahoe Resource Conservation District is to promote the conservation and improvement of the Lake Tahoe Basin's soil, water and related natural resources by providing leadership, information, programs and technical assistance to all land managers, owners, organizations and residents.
Term for this Vacancy: Four-year term
Current member may reapply. Other interested parties that meet eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply.
CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
AN ONLINE APPLICATION FOR APPOINTMENT IS AVAILABLE AT THE WEBSITE BELOW:
https://www.edcgov.us/Government/BOS/
CommissionsAndCommittees/Pages/Application-Form.aspx
AN APPLICATION IS REQUIRED TO BE CONSIDERED FOR AN APPOINTMENT
You may also call (530) 621-5390 or visit the Board of Supervisors office at 330 Fair Lane, Placerville, for a paper application.
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