Washington governor expands wildfire relief across central and eastern Washington

The original emergency proclamation was signed August 1 and put a statewide burn ban in place through September. Gov. Ferguson later signed an amendment that applied to people affected by fires in Chelan, Ferry, Okanogan, Spokane, Stevens, Douglas and Yakima counties, along with the Yakama Nation, Colville Reservation and Spokane Tribe.

For people who lost important records, the Department of Health and Department of Licensing plans to help replace personal documents at Shadle Park High School. That includes licenses, ID cards and vital records.

Fees for those replacements have been waived.

People without insurance who lost their homes could qualify for the Washington State Individual Assistance Program regardless of income.

Families affected by the fires could also get broader help through the Washington State Family Assistance Program, which was expanded to include people without children and allowed fire-affected families to receive cash assistance each month.

The order also changes unemployment rules for people affected by the fires. The one-week waiting period for benefits has been removed, and the requirement to show active job searching each week has been paused.

Ferguson's amendment also limited evictions in fire-affected areas. Landlords cannot move forward with an eviction unless there was an immediate health or safety risk, or the tenant had already received a 90-day written notice.

The order also blocks landlords from evicting tenants who took in people or pets displaced by the wildfires.

For licensed workers, the Department of Licensing gave extra time to renew business and professional licenses, including cosmetology, notary, real estate and security guard credentials. People seeking an extension were told to contact the Department of Licensing.

Hospitals and other health care providers were also included. The Department of Health gave providers extra time to renew licenses and state rules on building new health care facilities in fire-affected areas were waived.

The amendment also let hospitals and pharmacies operate from alternate locations by waiving rules that tied licenses to the original named premises.

For businesses, the order suspended state limits on truck drivers' hours as long as drivers had enough rest. It also waived penalties and fees for late tax filings.

Ferguson also directed state agencies to submit reports within 30 days identifying statutes, regulations and building code requirements that could be waived for rebuilding in fire-affected areas.

The governor's office said it is still reviewing other state laws that could be set aside. It also encouraged residents and business owners to speak up if a state rule was slowing recovery efforts.

The state had already received immediate disaster assistance from the federal government. Gov. Ferguson also announced the state was preparing a request for a major disaster declaration, which would open the door to significant financial help, but no submission date had been set because several requirements still had to be met.