PLANNING.
VICKI: THE SONOMA COUNTY COMPLEX
FIRES.
THE THOMAS FIRE IN VENTURA
COUNTY.
AND THE CAMP FIRE IN BUTTE
COUNTY.
SEVEN OF THE TOP 10 MOST
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES IN
CALIFORNIA HISTORY HAVE TAKEN
PLACE IN JUST THE PAST FIVE
YEARS.
THE CALIFORNIA STATE AUDITOR NOW
USING HINDSIGHT TO FIND WAYS
EMERGENCY RESPONDERS AT ALL
LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT CAN
IMPROVE.
IN CALIFORNIA, ONE IN FOUR LIVE
IN A HIGH-WILDFIRE RISK AREA.
ONE IN FIVE ARE EITHER OVER 65
YEARS OLD, OR DISABLED.
THE AUDIT HIGHLIGHTING EACH
COUNTY FAILED TO IMPLEMENT FEMA
GUIDELINES FOR THE MOST
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
OF THE 85 KILLED IN THE CAMP
FIRE, 67 WERE OVER THE AGE OF
65.
THE 2017 SONOMA COMPLEX FIRES,
18 OF A DEATH TOLL OF 24.
AND THE THOMAS FIRE, THREE OF
THE FIVE KILLED WERE 65 OR
OLDE
>> HOW CAN YOU PLAN IF YOU DON’T
KNOW WHAT THE COMMUNITY LOOKS
LIKE?
VICKI: EACH COUNTY WAS NOT
AVAILABLE FOR AN ON CAMERA
INTERVIEW BUT THEY DID FILE
LENGTHY RESPONSES TO THE STATE
AUDITOR.
BUTTE COUNTY ARGUES IN PART IT
IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE
ORDER OF MAGNITUDE AND SPEED OF
THE CAMP FIRE, A FIRE SO
DEVASTATING AND FAST THAT NO
PLAN COULD ADEQUATELY ADDRESS
IT.
>> LOOK, HOW CAN WE IMPROVE?
HOW CAN PLANS IMPROVE?
AND I THINK THERE’S GOOD THINGS
IN THERE.
VICKI: REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY
MEMBER JAMES GALLAGHER, WHO
REPRESENTS BUTTE COUNTY, PUSHED
FOR THE AUDIT.
>> PARADISE HAD PRACTICED ON
THIS EVACUATION PLAN.
SO, IT’S NOT THAT THERE WASN’T A
LOT OF WORK THAT WAS PUT INTO
IT, IT’S JUST THAT WHAT GOT
PRESENTED TO THEM WAS SOMETHING
THAT NOBODY HAD EVER
ANTICIPATED.
VICKI: THE AUDIT EMPHASIZING
THIS CRITICAL LENS IS NOT TO
PLACE BLAME, BUT TO PLAN BETTER
FOR THE UNPRECEDENTE
>> OUR AUDIT IS NOT ABOUT THE
RESPONSE, OR LACK OF RESPONSE.
IT’S ABOUT BEING AS PREPARED AS
YO
