NEWSOM ISSUES STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR PACK FIRE
Uploaded in the Dec. 13, 2025 issue.
On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a formal State of Emergency for Mono County to support ongoing recovery efforts in communities impacted by the Pack Fire.
The wildfire, which ignited on Nov. 13 in McGee Creek and was fully contained on Dec. 3, destroyed 30 structures, 27 residential and three commercial, and damaged six others.
The proclamation authorizes expedited cleanup of debris and household hazardous waste, and unlocks state resources for homeowners, renters, and businesses affected by the fire.
“This helps protect the county’s budget and ensure funding for rebuilding or preventative infrastructure,” Christine Bouchard, Mono County Assistant CAO, said in a presentation to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning.
The proclamation builds on existing relief efforts, including those by the Small Business Administration (SBA), which is offering low interest federal disaster loans to those affected by the fire.
Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other assets.
Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.
Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damage, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.
Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits, and 2.875% for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement.
The deadline to return physical damage applications is Feb. 9, 2026. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Sept. 9, 2026.
SBA also set up a Disaster Loan Outreach Center at the Crowley Lake Community Center (482 S. Landing Rd., #474), which is open Dec. 11 through Dec. 18.
Residents whose homes were destroyed or who lost personal property may also qualify for FEMA housing assistance and home repair grants. Medically dependent individuals or displaced residents may access rental assistance, housing support, and social and behavioral services through FEMA, state programs, and local coordinating agencies.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has already begun rehabilitation and cleanup on its land and is remapping property boundaries in the burn area, Supervisor Rhonda Duggan announced Tuesday. This may explain why heavy equipment is visible in the area.
If a homeowner chooses to self-manage debris removal, they may only do so with a licensed contractor. The contractor must obtain a demolition permit and hazardous-materials transportpermit, and debris must be taken to a facility capable of handling fire-related material, Bouchard said. In the past, burned material has been taken to Lancaster, Calif., though the county may also have the option of hauling it to Fallon, Nevada.
Meanwhile, the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District is installing a new monitor to provide air-quality indicators of toxins in the area, Duggan said.
Also this week, the Mono County Board of Supervisors voted to waive fees associated with solid waste, environmental health, and community development when those fees are related to recovery and rebuilding from the fire.
Similar motions were adopted following the 2020 Mountain View Fire and the 2025 Inn Fire. The difference this time is that the waiver can be applied retroactively, making anyone who applied for permits after the fire and before the resolution eligible for reimbursement.
The County also adopted interpretations of the General Plan allowing temporary living facilities, such as RVs, on damaged properties to avoid displacing residents. These temporary facilities may remain on the property for up to 18 months after the owner notifies the County, or until the structure is rebuilt. The fee waiver has no sunset date.
As for what went wrong with the notification system, Genasys, when many residents did not receive emergency alerts, Bouchard attributed the issue to “user discrepancies.”
Genasys confirmed that all messaging was activated correctly, she said. But some residents did not receive notifications because their addresses were not entered properly in the system.
“I was one of them,” she said. “I looked at my own personal setup and realized I did not have my own address in there. I do reside in Crowley Lake, and I did not receive the notification.”
Christopher Mokracek, the County’s Director of Emergency Management, was “out of office” the ay of the meeting and could not present the findings.
However, per The Sheet’s Nov. 22 reporting and interview with him, the system was supposed to trigger alerts for people whose phones were physically in the area, not only for those who had updated their information.
Regardless, it’s probably not a bad idea to update your information at ready.mono.ca.gov.
