Monday, January 13, 2025

LA County Board to Ratify Local Emergency Prompted by Wildfires

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Following state and federal emergency proclamations for the Los Angeles-area wildfires, the county Board of Supervisors is expected Tuesday to ratify the local emergency declaration.

The proclamations were declared to provide immediate access to recovery resources and funds, amidst wildfires blazing through the county. Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the board chair, signed a county emergency declaration last week, but it must be ratified by the full board.

As of midday Monday, the two biggest fires, the Palisades Fire had burned nearly 24,000 acres with 14% containment and the Eaton Fire had burned over 14,000 acres with 33% containment, according to Cal Fire.

The death toll from the fires was reported to be 24 as of Sunday evening, while more than 10,000 structures were believed to have been destroyed or damaged.

The board on Tuesday will also ratify 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.

If approved, the motion will also ask the CEO to report back in five days with a plan to direct unspent funding from other departments and programs into fire recovery assistance.

The local emergency status will remain in effect until the termination is proclaimed by the board.

The board will also consider a related motion aimed at collaborating multi-departmental efforts on economic recovery and 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.

The Department of Economic Opportunity, the CEO and the city of Los Angeles will be asked to lead the coordination of all economic and workforce relief initiatives and hire any third-party assistance to increase awareness around Unemployment Insurance and Disaster Unemployment Assistance.

If approved, the second motion will also direct the DEO to report back to the board in 15 days, 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 will also be directed to increase awareness and ensure strict enforcement of anti-price gouging laws and worker protections.