Community Update: San Mateo County Fires

Press release from the City of Millbrae:

August 19, 2020

Due to the lightning strikes over the weekend, there were numerous spot fires that impacted San Mateo County, especially in the coastal foothills to the south-west of Millbrae.

While heavy smoke and ash are present in the air, there are no fires in Millbrae. The closest fire is near Woodside.

Cal Fire has been on scene since the weekend and has kept the San Mateo County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which still remains active for the COVID-19 response, apprised of the situation including three fires in southwest San Mateo County located around the Loma Mar area.

Yesterday and last night, the fires began to burn at a more alarming rate and the monitor status became an evacuation order for certain communities. Those residents were notified via SMCAlert and the Wirelesss Emergency Alert, and law enforcement and fire personnel worked together to assist in evacuating roughly 1,884 individuals.

An evacuation center was established at Pescadero High School including Human Services Agency, Red Cross, Peninsula Humane Society and Sheriff's Office where 108 individuals were provided hotel vouchers (hotels are preferred vs congregate shelters due to COVID-19). Most others found their own accommodations.

As of 7 a.m. today, 9,000 acres have burned and the fire is making its way south/southeast to Santa Cruz County. Cal Fire has activated a State Incident Management Team to work in concert with both counties in the field. The fires are 0% contained and, officially, no structures have burned.

Separate from the efforts under the County Managers Office and committees re: secondary events, the EOC for months has been conducting contingency planning for events like power outages, public safety power shutoffs, and this fire, so that more than one event could be handled within the EOC.

We want to thank all our fire fighters and first responders for their tremendous work to control the fire, get those impacted by it to safety, and to prevent further destruction to homes and property.

This press release was produced by the City of Millbrae. The views expressed here are the author’s own.