Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that California has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the Blue Ridge Fire burning in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
The FMAG, which is provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund on cost-share basis, will assist local, state and tribal agencies responding to the fire to apply for 75-percent reimbursement of their eligible fire suppression costs. Earlier today, the Governor announced that California has also secured an FMAG to support the response to the Silverado Fire burning in Orange County.
The Blue Ridge Fire has burned 3,000 acres since it began earlier today, forcing the evacuation of 10,000 people and threatening approximately 10,000 homes as well as critical infrastructure.
CAL FIRE and Cal OES Fire and Rescue and Regional emergency personnel are responding in concert with other federal, state and local agencies to address emergency management and mutual aid needs for the fire. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Red Flag Warning for the area due to dangerous fire weather conditions.