US agency declares California wildfires a public health emergency

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Friday declared a public health emergency for California to address the health impacts of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles County.

The wildfires have devastated Los Angeles neighborhoods on the east and west sides of the sprawling metropolis and have so far killed 10 people and destroyed nearly 10,000 structures, with those figures expected to grow.

The declaration gives the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of people enrolled under Medicare and Medicaid insurance plans, said the HHS.

HHS said its Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is prepared to deploy responders, along with medical equipment and supplies if requested by the state.

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden declared the fires a major disaster and said the U.S. government would reimburse 100% of the recovery for the next six months, and on Friday reiterated his pledge to provide California with the resources it needs to fight the blazes and rebuild.