Governor declares State of Emergency

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today proclaimed a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County as a result of the Gap Fire which has already burned over 2,400 acres and is causing imminent danger to 200 residential property and structures.

“We have responded immediately to the Gap Fire by sending additional resources to Santa Barbara County to battle this blaze that is threatening life and property,” Governor Schwarzenegger said. “California has the best firefighters in the world, and I also want to commend them for their dedication under such difficult circumstances. Thanks to their hard work, we are making progress in containing the more than 1,000 current fires, and through our local, state and federal coordination and resources, we will put these fires out and help our affected communities recover as quickly as possible.”
To date, the Governor has declared a state of emergency in the following 11 counties: Butte, Kern, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, Plumas, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta and Trinity.
On May 9, 2008, the Governor issued Executive Order S-03-08, which boosted the state's preparedness for wildfire season and directed CAL FIRE to immediately mobilize critical firefighting resources and personnel to save lives and homes statewide.