California’s preparations to battle wildfires this year will not be slowed by the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newson vowed Thursday, saying the state will purchase specially equipped helicopters and fire engines and hire hundreds of additional firefighters.
“We are not going to step back despite the economic headwinds,” Newsom said during a news conference conducted in front of a fire truck from a station in Cameron Park, near Sacramento.
With the traditional start of California’s official fire season just a couple weeks away, state officials also provided details about how emergency evacuations might be safely managed in the face of a highly contagious virus.
Mark Ghilarducci, director of the state Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said fire evacuees who have tested positive for the virus would be sent to separate evacuation centers. Some evacuees would go to hotels and segregated areas would be set up in public emergency shelters, such as gyms.
“We are mindful of the threats, we are mindful of the understandable anxiety that this time of the year brings to people, in addition to what’s going on with COVID-19,” Newsom said. “And I want folks to know that we have been preparing for this upcoming fire season and we’re not stepping back our efforts.”