California gets federal assistance to help with the fight against Park Fire

Sacramento – Working fast to secure additional funds and resources to fight the fast-burning Park Fire, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that California has secured an Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to make sure that the state has access to vital resources to put out the burning fire throughout Butte County.

The swift-moving Park Fire near the city of Chico has ravaged more than 45,000 acres and led to the evacuation of over 3500 people. Live information about roads that are closed maps for evacuation, as well as evacuation centers are accessible through fire.ca.gov.

FMAG that is provided through the president’s Disaster Relief Fund on cost-share basis, will allow the local governments, tribes organizations and state agencies responding to the fire by requesting reimbursement up to 75 percent of eligible expenses to suppress flames. The program overseen through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) will provide immediate financial assistance to communities who are affected by fires.

In the midst of this fire season, California has secured FMAGs for the Thompson, French along with Hawarden fires that destroyed the land of more than 5500 acres.