The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) 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 El Dorado Fire burning in San Bernardino County.
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 El Dorado Fire has burned more than 4,500 acres since it began September 5, causing mandatory evacuations of approximately 1,600 people and voluntary evacuations of 2,135 people. The recent heatwave coupled with heavy fuel in the area have made an ideal environment for dangerous fire conditions throughout the region.
The El Dorado Fire is threatening more than 3,700 homes in Yucaipa, Oak Glen, Mountain Home and Forest Hills. The fire is also threatening a Southern California Edison Hydro-Electric power plant and associated transmission lines.
Cal OES Fire and Rescue personnel are responding in concert with other federal, state and local agencies to address emergency management and mutual aid needs for the fire.
Current weather conditions are causing extreme fire behavior, even in overnight hours, and the weather pattern is expected to extend through next week.
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