As the Lake Fire continues to burn nearly 30,000 acres in the San Bernardino Mountains, the Board of Supervisors today unanimously ratified an emergency proclamation during an emergency meeting this morning.
The proclamation will enable the County to seek State and/or Federal reimbursement for the cost of fighting the fire. So far, the cost of all resources in response to this fire has been estimated at $17.6 million.
“The County is putting every effort into making sure people are safe and that they have access to all of the resources they need to survive this fire and recover,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman James Ramos. “I commend the brave public safety personnel who are fighting this fire and keeping our communities safe.”
The proclamation notes there are conditions of extreme peril to the safety of people and property near the Lake Fire, which started just before 4 p.m. on June 17. Since the fire began, visitors and residents and animals in mountain communities have been evacuated and taken to emergency shelters. Four firefighters have been injured.
Firefighters are working diligently to get the fire under control. Containment was at 19 percent at 8 a.m. today. Mandatory evacuations include areas along Highway 38 east of Angeles Oaks to Onyx Summit, Barton Flats, Seven Oaks, South Fork, Heart Bar Rainbow Lane, Burns Canyon and Rimrock. Highway 38 is closed between Angeles Oaks to Lake Williams.
For more information and updates about the Lake Fire, visit http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4302/ or San Bernardino County Fire at www.sbcfire.org.