San Francisco, CA — This evening, Mayor London Breed issued a proclamation declaring a local emergency to provide mutual aid in response to the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County. The fire has burned more than 30,000 acres to date, leading to the evacuation of almost 200,000 people and threatening hundreds of structures. Due to the Kincade Fire, Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency on October 25. As of today, there are over 3,000 local, state and federal personnel, including first responders, assisting with the Kincade Fire alone.

In light of the unprecedented number of evacuees, San Francisco will open a temporary disaster shelter to assist those who have been displaced. The shelter will be located at Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (St. Mary’s Cathedral) at 1111 Gough Street and will be open at 8:00am tomorrow, October 28, 2019. The temporary shelter is scheduled through Friday to support the statewide shelter system as necessary.

“San Francisco stands with our neighbors to the north and is ready to help in every way we can,” said Mayor Breed. “Our City departments are working in unison to provide shelter and care to those who have been displaced, while first responders continue to fight the fire in Sonoma County.”

The Human Services Agency is working with the American Red Cross to provide shelter for 200 people at St. Mary’s Cathedral. The shelter will be open to serve adults, families, and pets. No proof of documentation is necessary, and all evacuees seeking safe shelter are welcome.

The Department of Public Health will have a team on site to assess the medical and mental health needs of the evacuees. The City is also looking into opening additional locations to shelter evacuees. This shelter will not have any impact on City services.

The proclamation allows the Mayor to deploy resources to respond to emergencies. It must be ratified by the Board of Supervisors within seven days.

The best way to support disaster victims is with a financial donation. Food, clothing and household items are not being accepted at this time. For more information, visit https://socoemergency.org/home/recover/how-to-help/.

For media inquiries to the San Francisco Emergency Operation Center call 415-558-2712.

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