SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom announced late Tuesday and early Wednesday 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 Eaton and Hurst Fires burning in Los Angeles County as extreme fire weather continues in Southern California.
“We are working vigorously to ensure maximum support for firefighting efforts in Los Angeles, including the Hurst Fire, which is now threatening San Fernando and Newhall. Thank you to all our firefighting personnel and first responders protecting Californians in harm’s way.” – Governor Gavin Newsom
The Eaton Fire started at 6:23 p.m. Tuesday evening in Altadena/Pasadena near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive. As of 9:29 p.m. of Tuesday, January 8, more than 400 acres have burned, forcing the mandatory evacuation of 19,000 people and evacuation warnings for 22,000 people. An estimated 8,200 structures are threatened.
Earlier Tuesday, Governor Newsom was on the ground in Pacific Palisades for a briefing on the Palisades Fire, where he proclaimed a state of emergency to further support the communities impacted by this fire and 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 fire burning in Pacific Palisades.
The Hurst Fire, which started at 10:25 p.m. Tuesday near Diamond Road in Sylmar, as of 1:36 a.m. of Wednesday, January 9, has burned more than 500 acres and has prompted evacuation orders for more than 44,000 people and evacuation warnings for 27,000, with 40,000 structures threatened.
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. Yesterday, Governor Newsom announced FMAGs were secured for the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Beginning Sunday, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services approved the prepositioning of 65 fire engines, as well as more than 120 additional firefighting resources and personnel in Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties and CAL FIRE moved firefighting resources to Southern California including 45 additional engines and six hand crews to the seven affected counties.
Californians are urged to remain vigilant and follow the instructions of local authorities as extreme fire weather continues through Thursday. Go to ready.ca.gov for disaster preparedness tips.