(KMJ) – Both ends of California struggled with blazes, dangerously windy weather and deliberate blackouts.
Thousands were evacuated from the paths of several new wildfires burning in Southern California.
Late Wednesday, fire officials said the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was safe from a wildfire that came within yards of the Simi Valley property.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that the state has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of resources to fight the Easy Fire burning in Ventura County.
The Governor had declared a statewide emergency due to the dangerous weather conditions.
“The continued real-time assistance provided as California grapples with fires across the state has been critical to our efforts to keep communities safe and reduce damages,” said Governor Newsom. “We are thankful to our federal, state and local partners for their extraordinary, collaborative response in this challenging time.”
The Fire Management Assistance Grant will assist local, state and tribal agencies responding to the fire to apply for 75-percent reimbursement of their eligible fire suppression costs.
Governor Newsom has declared a statewide emergency due to the dangerous weather conditions and secured Fire Management Assistance Grants to bolster the response to the Getty Fire, as well as the Kincade and Tick fires – for which he previously declared a state of emergency in Sonoma and Los Angeles counties.
Click for real-time fire incident map
Ventura County Assistant Fire Chief Chad Cook spoke with reporters Wednesday at a news conference and detailed the success of the evacuations.
“Not only were we able to get people out of harm’s way, the evacuation centers proved very useful, this morning, in being able to get people into those areas, and out of the way for firefighting resources to get in there,” said Assistant Fire Chief Cook.
Early Wednesday, a new wildfire had erupted in the suburbs north of Los Angeles, forcing the evacuation of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and nearby homes.
Ventura County officials said the brush fire near the Reagan Library started before dawn between the cities of Simi Valley and Moorpark and exploded to more than 1,300 acres, threatening 6,500 homes.
Library spokeswoman Melissa Giller said around midmorning that the hilltop museum in Simi Valley was not damaged. She said that the flames came within about 30 yards of the property but that it was protected by aircraft dropping water and by a firebreak, a buffer zone that was cleared of brush by goats.
The Riverside County Fire Department said blaze in Jurupa Valley, 45 miles east of Los Angeles had grown to 50 acres by midday Wednesday.
Elderly people were being taken from a health care facility on wheelchairs and gurneys as smoke swirled.
Governor Newsom announced the launch of a new state website, RESPONSE.CA.GOV on Monday, which serves as a one-stop portal for tools and resources available to Californians who have been impacted by wildfires and utility-directed power shutoffs, as well as community and business partnerships to support residents impacted by the wildfires and the shutoffs.
The Governor also announced that the state has secured Fire Management Assistance Grants to help ensure the availability of resources to fight the Getty Fire, as well as the Kincade and Tick fires – for which Gov. Newsom previously declared a state of emergency in Sonoma and Los Angeles counties.
This week and last week, the Governor met with emergency responders, volunteers, health officials, residents and state and local leaders in Los Angeles, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Napa and Geyserville, and held briefings regarding the ongoing fire threats and the need to hold utilities accountable for the consequences of their power shutoff decisions.
The Governor has called on the California Public Utilities Commission to reform power shutoff rules and regulations as part of its investigation into the utility-led shutoffs. He has also announced a $75 million program for state and local governments to mitigate the impacts of power shutoffs and unveiled a series of new partnerships and new tools to help secure medically vulnerable populations during these events.
#VCFD #EasyFire UPDATE: Fire at over 1,400 acres. Weather conditions have improved, enabling air tankers to deploy and drop fire retardant onto fire. While crews battle on the ground, they’re given a lot of support from the air. @CAL_FIRE @City_SimiValley @VENTURASHERIFF pic.twitter.com/UYvoLqKxfv
— Ventura County Fire (@VCFD) October 30, 2019
