The victims of the fire at a condominium complex in Foster City are asking elected officials to push for a state of emergency declaration. The fire affected about 50 units, left roughly 150 people displaced and injured four firefighters. “I had postcards from my grandmother, for example, who passed away when I was a child,” Kelly said. “My husband had the letters I sent him when he deployed to Iraq.” “Over 100 of us, overnight, became homeless essentially. It is a disaster and in our opinion a state of emergency and we really hope to get that support from our local and state representatives, as well,” Kelly continued. A group of condo owners and residents have now sent a letter to their local elected officials including Foster City’s mayor and their San Mateo County supervisor, urging them to push the state to declare a state of emergency. “It would not magically give us as owners and residents our property back or replace anything for us, but it would give us stronger insurance protections, stronger resources to help rebuild,” Kelly said. In certain instances, the governor can authorize the state department of emergency services to provide financial relief for emergency actions, restoration of public facilities and infrastructure and hazard mitigation. “Everyone’s lost their belongings, people are still searching for their pets,” condominium owner Meenakshi said. San Mateo County Supervisor Noelia Corzo in a statement said residents deserve the support and resources they need to recover, but that the county defers to Foster City whether a state of emergency should be declared. She adds that they continue to stand ready to deploy county departments to support unmet needs. “A lot of people are vulnerable, and we need that support from the govt, we have done our best, and now we need the govt and the local authorities to stand up for us,” Meenakshi said. NBC Bay Area reached out to Foster City’s mayor and Governor Gavin Newsom’s Office, but hasn’t heard back. ...read more read less