Trabuco Canyon, CA – As first reported in Spectrum News, today, U.S. Representatives Young Kim (CA-40) and Ken Calvert (CA-41) led a bipartisan letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom urging him to declare a State of Emergency to assist in the response to the Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside Counties.
Reps. Kim and Calvert were joined by Reps. Lou Correa (CA-46), Michelle Steel (CA-45), Mike Levin (CA-48), and Katie Porter (CA-47).
Read the letter HERE or below.
We write to urge you to declare a State of Emergency to assist in the response to the Airport Fire impacting Orange and Riverside Counties. After a record-breaking heat wave across Southern California, a vegetation fire broke out near Trabuco Creek Road in Trabuco Canyon. The fire is growing rapidly, prompting mandatory evacuations, school closures, and traffic disruptions in Orange and Riverside Counties. As of September 10, 2024, less than 24 hours after the fire began, the Airport Fire has burned over 9,300 acres of land and is burning out of control. The fire is expected to worsen, further endangering the lives and property of our community members.
We are grateful to the Orange County Fire Authority, the U.S. Forest Service, CAL FIRE,
Riverside County Fire Department, local sheriff departments, and community leaders for their efforts to contain the Airport Fire, and it is essential to supplement their efforts as soon as possible. The Orange County Board of Supervisors has already declared a local State of Emergency, and state resources—combined with federal support—will help our communities respond and recover from this devastating fire. We commend your swift response in declaring a State of Emergency in the wake of the Line Fire in San Bernardino County, and we ask that you do the same for the Airport Fire.
In order for our communities to have the necessary resources to ensure their public health and safety, we request that you declare a State of Emergency in Orange and Riverside Counties and permit expedited federal assistance to the impacted areas. This would unlock federal support to suppress the fire and keep our communities safe. We appreciate your attention, and we look forward to working with you to respond to this disaster and assist Californians affected by the Airport Fire.
