As thousands of residents flee California wildfire, official warns of price gouging

The California attorney general warned the public on Wednesday against price gouging as thousands of residents evacuate from the Caldor Fire.

Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency Tuesday for El Dorado County, where the Caldor Fire has swelled in size by more than 30,000 acres overnight, forcing evacuations for more than 16,300 residents.

Price gouging on food, gas, housing and other essential items is illegal during a state of emergency, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news release. Eleven California counties are under state of emergency orders.

“If you see price gouging — or if you’ve been the victim of it — I encourage you to immediately file a complaint with my office online at oag.ca.gov/report, or contact your local police department or sheriff’s office,” Bonta said.

Under the California law, excessive price increases are prohibited during a state or local emergency. Following the emergency declaration, a person or business is prohibited from selling items higher than 10% from their original price before the order.

But a price markup isn’t unlawful if the seller can prove there were additional cost increases related to the supplier. However, if someone began selling an item after the emergency order, they cannot increase the price by more than 50%, Bonta said.

The law includes people selling food, emergency supplies, medical supplies, building materials, gasoline, construction services, emergency cleanup services, transportation, freight and storage services, hotel accommodations and rental housing.

Violations of this law include up to a year in county jail or a fine up to $10,000 — or both.

What to know about the Caldor Fire

The blaze started burning in the El Dorado National Forest east of Sacramento over the weekend.

Initially a small fire, it grew eight times in size within 24 hours and has reached 53,772 acres as of Wednesday with zero containment. Hot, dry and windy conditions have helped the fire grow.

Fire officials are seeing a greater need to focus on the Caldor Fire due to its growing size. They have sent 30 engines from the Dixie Fire — the state’s largest fire this year and the second largest recorded in history — to the Caldor Fire.

California firefighters are currently working on 13 major fires in the state.

This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 4:21 PM with the headline "As thousands of residents flee California wildfire, official warns of price gouging."

Helena Wegner

McClatchy DC

Helena Wegner is a McClatchy National Real-Time Reporter covering the state of Washington and the western region. She’s a journalism graduate from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s based in Phoenix.