California Gov. Jerry Brown has issued an Emergency Declaration in response to wildfires in that state. At last count, 15 people have died in the fires and some 2,000 structures have been destroyed.
Previous Emergency Declarations declared for wildfires in Oregon and Washington State remain in effect. Regional Declarations for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria also remain in effect.
Emergency Declarations such as these trigger the temporary suspension of certain federal safety regulations for motor carriers and drivers engaged in specific aspects of the emergency relief, including direct assistance for the immediate restoration of essential services (such as electrical, sewer, water, and telecommunications) or essential supplies (such as food, water, medical supplies, and fuel).
For a current list of state-by-state Emergency Declarations, Waivers, Exemptions and Permits, see: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/emergency.
As of Oct. 6, wildfires had burned a total of 8.5 million acres in the west, well above the last decade’s average of 6 million per year.
