Napa County declared a local health emergency because toxic materials and debris from the Pickett wildfire could threaten local water supplies and create imminent environmental hazards. The declaration grants legal authority and access to state and federal resources to manage cleanup and mitigate hazardous-material exposure. The Pickett Fire has burned 6,803 acres and is roughly 17% contained, with over 2,700 personnel assigned and an August 21 start date. Smoke continues to affect Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties but has not impacted San Francisco. Daytime fog and a recent weather pattern change are expected to aid containment efforts. The fire is burning near the Glass wildfire burn area.
Napa County officials declared a local health emergency on Monday over concerns that toxic materials from the Pickett wildfire could affect the local water supply. Officials said debris from the ongoing Pickett wildfire, which has burned 6,803 acres as of Tuesday morning, could lead to "imminent environmental threats to safe water supplies." "The health of Napa County residents is my highest priority, and the declaration of a local health emergency is a proactive and necessary step to protect our community from the unseen dangers left behind by this fire," Dr. Christine Wu, the public health officer for Napa County, said in a statement.
The declaration gives officials more access to state and federal resources as they deal with the ongoing fire. "What we have learned from past experiences that when it comes to responding to wildfires, recovery efforts need to start during the wildfire response phase before the fire is fully contained," officials said in the statement. The Pickett Fire is currently burning in rural Napa county and is about 17% contained as of Tuesday morning, according to Cal Fire. Over 2,700 personnel are fighting the blaze that started on Aug. 21.
The smoke from the wildfire continues to affect Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties but has not impacted San Francisco, according to the Bay Area Air District. This week, increasing fog during the day is expected to help firefighters as they work on containing the blaze. "Last week, we had record-breaking heat that lasted through last weekend," Matt Mehle, the incident meteorologist, said in a press conference. We are currently in a pattern change... that's actually bringing some relief to the fire.
Collection
[
|
...
]