San Mateo County Health Officials Declare Local Health Emergency

REDWOOD CITY, CA – San Mateo County health officer Scott Morrow declared a local health emergency on Wednesday in response to the CZU Lightning Complex fire after he determined that hazardous waste found on that site may be a risk to public health.

County Supervisors are expected to ratify and extend the emergency declaration at its meeting Sept. 15, county officials announced on Wednesday. The board announced the local health emergency because of the fires on Aug. 19.

To date, the CZU Lightning Complex fires that started Aug. 16 have covered 86,509 acres across San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, officials said. The fire is 83 percent contained but has destroyed 59 structures in San Mateo County, according to initial assessments.

The emergency declaration may free up additional funding and bolsters an Aug. 28 emergency regulation to allow temporary access to private property for damage assessments, officials said. The new declaration further clarifies that county staff and contractors can enter private property as necessary to remediate hazardous waste or waste that could become hazardous.

Debris and ash from structure fires may contain hazardous materials such a building materials or chemicals from household items, county health officials said in a news release.

“The emergency declaration will help ensure the safety of our residents as they return home, as well as our environment, by facilitating the removal of toxic metals and hazardous materials from the burned areas,” Environmental Health Services Director Heather Forshey said in the release.