White House approves Major Disaster Declaration for California
Governor Gavin Newsom announced Saturday that the White House has approved California's request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration which will help bolster the state's response to wildfires burning across Northern California.
“Thank you to the President for your partnership and granting this urgent Major Disaster Declaration. California is battling two of the largest fires in our history and has seen nearly 600 new fires in the last week caused by dry lightning strikes. These are unprecedented times and conditions, but California is strong – we will get through this,” said Governor Newsom.
This disaster declaration will help provide support for those impacted by the fires through counseling, housing, unemployment assistance and legal services.
It also provides federal assistance to help the state and local governments fund their emergency response, recovery and protective measures while battling fires in Northern California, the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Coast.
Friday prior to this announcement, firefighters and aircraft from 10 different states arrived in California to assist with some of the largest blazes the state has seen yet.
About 560 wildfires are burning across California placing about 100,000 people under evacuation orders.
Newsom declared a statewide emergency earlier this week due to the wildfires and extreme weather. California also secured Fire Management Assistance Grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help with the firefight.
