Ferguson signs amended wildfire proclamation as state seeks additional federal aid

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed an amended emergency proclamation Monday for Washington’s wildfire disaster, waiving dozens of state laws to help victims across seven counties and three tribal nations.

Ferguson added that the state will seek a federal major disaster declaration by mid-September to unlock financial aid for individuals and local governments.

“I’m very aware that these major disaster declarations are not always granted, and so we are determined to make our case as compelling as possible,” he said at a news conference Monday.

If granted, the declaration would unlock direct financial assistance for individuals and funding to repair damaged public infrastructure across seven eastern Washington counties.

The federal government has already granted Washington an emergency declaration and a public health emergency for the wildfires.

“I think I mentioned earlier how appreciative I am that the federal government has responded … quickly is not the word, I mean, they’ve just been on it,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson suspends evictions, waives fees for wildfire victims who lost personal documents

Ferguson noted Washingtonians have lost everything, including personal documents such as driver’s licenses and birth certificates. Therefore, he has issued an order that suspends evictions, eliminates fees for replacement IDs and birth certificates, and removes the unemployment waiting period.

The Department of Health, working with the Department of Licensing, will be on site at the emergency disaster center at Shadle Park High School to help Washingtonians obtain new copies of personal documents. Business owners will also have more time to renew their professional documents, such as cosmetology, notary, and real estate licenses.

Evacuation orders scaled back, but hazards remain

Evacuation orders were scaled back for the wildfires in the Spokane area, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office reported Monday. For a map of current evacuations, go here.

Although homeowners have been cleared to return, hazards remain.

“Being clear to return does not mean that every hazard is gone,” Spokane County Health Officer Dr. Frank Velasquez said. “You’ve heard multiple times, be aware of your surroundings. So conditions can be different from one property to another; my neighbor may be OK, mine may not be that OK. We want all residents, as they return, to take the time to carefully examine the environment around them before they proceed.”

The risks are much greater for homes with significant fire damage, as fire-damaged buildings can be unstable.

“Just because it may be standing doesn’t mean that it’s safe,” Velasquez said. “You can have damaged utilities there too. You can have hazardous material and debris on the floor with things that you may not even see that are there.”

He noted it’s important to avoid breathing in toxic fumes and to protect skin and eyes from exposure. The Red Cross is handing out free kits with Tyvek suits, N95 masks, eye protection, eye drops, and foot covers.

Contributing: Frank Lenzi and Jillian Raftery, KIRO Newsradio; Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest