County declares state of emergency, requests state funding for Pfeiffer Fire.

The devastation of the Pfeiffer Fire is yet to be known, but the County Board of Supervisors today declared a state of emergency. 

That allows them to also request that state officials approve disaster relief assistance, which the supervisors also agreed to ask for in a separate resolution Tuesday. 

Today at 4pm, the Big Sur Fire Brigade and all partner agencies responding to the fire are hosting a community meeting at the multi-agency facility near Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. 

It's likely to become a daily ritual as long as the fire lasts to keep community members up to speed. 

"We will be listening for community concerns and needs," says Kathleen Lee, chief of staff to County Supervisor Dave Potter, whose district includes Big Sur. 

Tomorrow, the county and Cal Fire will assemble a team to begin conducting a damage assessment. That's where the state of emergency declaration may be particularly helpful, Lee says, because it will open up funding opportunities to families who need to rebuild. 

“I am receiving regular updates on the fire from Cal Fire and am monitoring the situation closely," Secretary for the California Department of Natural Resources John Laird said in an emailed statement. "The state is assisting our federal partners with engines, crews, aircraft and personnel. My hope is that in coordination with our federal partners, we will gain the upper hand on the fire soon.”

The County Health Department is also compiling information on the fire at this website, with links to the latest on air quality, fire lines and community blog posts. 

The lead agency fighting the fire, the U.S. Forest Service, has set up a new public information phone line for members of the public seeking the latest on the fire: 831-667-0951.