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Yolo supervisors add Oakdale fire proclamation to agenda, adopt emergency resolution amid public questions
Summary
The Yolo County Board of Supervisors voted to add and adopt a proclamation of local emergency related to the Oakdale Ranch fire. Public speakers called for investigations into unpermitted activity at the site and raised questions about chemical exposures, youth workers and county liability.
The Yolo County Board of Supervisors on July 8 voted to add a proclamation of local emergency related to the Oakdale Ranch explosion and fire to the meeting agenda and adopted a companion resolution as part of the consent calendar.
County counsel Phil Poguelych told the board the Brown Act allows an item to be added when an emergency exists or when a supermajority finds immediate action is necessary. He said the county had received new information after the agenda was posted that “significantly increased our understanding … of the nature of damage to public infrastructure, the extent of damage to private property, and the potential for the county's ongoing involvement in cleanup and other activities at the site.”
The move allowed the board to consider a proclamation of local emergency tied to the Oakdale incident. The board voted to add the item and later approved the consent agenda, which included Resolution No. 2579 concerning the Oakdale fire.
Why it matters: The proclamation formally recognizes the county’s potential role in cleanup and recovery and begins administrative steps that can enable damage assessments and later interaction with state and federal agencies on reimbursement or assistance.
Public commenters pressed for more information about who was operating at the Oakdale site and what hazardous materials might have been released. Marianne Flanders, speaking from an address on County Road 85, asked whether the site could qualify as a Superfund location and what chemicals and particulates were released and how far they traveled. She also asked why a teenager was allowed to work on-site and whether county agencies knew of the activity.
Leo Romero, who said he lives about a mile from the blast site, described two large explosions and expressed alarm that seven people died. He asked whether the county could be held liable and said: “If that blast site had been any larger, the town of Esparza would be gone.”
The board and county staff acknowledged the public’s concerns and said the proclamation is a first step that will be followed by damage assessments and coordination with state and federal partners. County counsel and staff cautioned it could take time to determine eligibility for state or federal reimbursement. April Meneghetti, director of Environmental Health, later reiterated that follow-up actions (including any damage assessment) would determine the county’s next steps.
Actions taken: At the start of the meeting, county counsel asked the board to add the emergency proclamation to the agenda under Brown Act authority. The board voted to add the item and then, during approval of the consent agenda, adopted Resolution No. 2579 regarding the Oakdale fire. The resolution was added to the consent items and approved without recorded dissent.
What the board did not do: The board did not at the July 8 meeting adopt any specific cleanup plan, appropriate recovery funds, or identify formal liability determinations. County officials said a damage assessment and discussions with state agencies will follow the proclamation.
Looking ahead: County counsel said the proclamation opens administrative pathways for assessments and state coordination; staff and the board said they will provide updates as damage assessment results and intergovernmental discussions proceed.
