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 Sheep Fire burning in Lassen 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 Sheep Fire has burned more than 15,000 acres since it began August 17, causing evacuations of approximately 1,000 people. The recent sustained high winds have made an ideal environment for dangerous fire conditions throughout the region, and the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued Red Flag Warnings for the area.

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 the weekend.