In Butte County, where wildfires have killed at least three people, officials issued an emergency measure Thursday allowing restaurants to temporarily reopen for indoor dining.

“We are responding to what we feel is an emergency situation in our county due not only to the wildfire evacuees but also due to the air quality,” Butte County Public Health communications manager Lisa Almaguer said. “We are not recommending this be done but are providing this allowance for a temporary basis right now.”

The county — one of 33 on the state’s Tier 1 monitoring list for COVID-19 — did not wait to receive permission from the state to reopen restaurants, Almaguer said. Under current rules, counties in Tier 1 with a widespread risk for transmission may allow only outdoor dining.

Assemblyman James Gallagher, who represents much of Butte County, said he encouraged restaurants to defy the state’s guidelines because he thinks the poor air quality and pollution from the North Complex fires pose a greater health risk than the threat of catching the virus inside businesses that follow physical distancing requirements.

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