Emergency order aims to help Lake County wildfire victims

Gov. Jerry Brown has issued an emergency order aimed at helping residents and businesses in Lake and Trinity counties recover from wildfires that have ravaged tens of thousands of acres in those counties this summer.

The executive order, issued Thursday, is expected to expedite cleanup and rebuilding by suspending many of the state regulations governing the removal, storage and transportation of hazardous materials and nonhazardous solid waste, including dead trees, from burned areas. It directs environmental and resource agencies to expedite waivers or permits for such cleanup.

Individuals wishing to take advantage of the waivers must first be determined eligible.

The order also suspends fees for replacing documents lost to the fires, including driver’s licenses and birth certificates.

A state of emergency order previously was declared for the fire-torn counties.