SACRAMENTO – 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 Dixie Fire burning in Butte and Plumas 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. The program, which is administered through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), provides rapid financial assistance to communities impacted by fires.
The Dixie Fire has burned more than 40,500 acres, forcing evacuations in the communities along the Feather River Canyon including Pulga and Belden.
Currently 2,409 fire personnel assigned to this fire along with 141 engines, 63 hand crews, 49 bulldozers and 23 helicopters.
The Plumas and Butte County Emergency Operations Center have been activated and Cal OES staff are on site to support local agencies as they respond to the emergency.
The incident is being managed in a unified command with CAL FIRE Butte Unit in partnership with the United States Forest Service.