SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom announced early Wednesday that California has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the Hurst Fire burning in Los Angeles County as extreme fire weather continues in Southern California.
In a news release, Gov. Newsom stated “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.”
The Hurst Fire, which started at 10:25 p.m. Tuesday in Sylmar, 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. On Tuesday, FMAGs were secured for the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Wildfire quick tips
- Sign up for free emergency alerts at ready.ca.gov: You can choose how to get alerts sent to you when you sign up, including cell phone, home phone, email, text messages, and in some cases, TTY devices.
- Make a plan: Wildfires may cause power outages, so have backup plans for electrical medical devices and medicines that must be refrigerated and have a battery-powered radio so you can hear emergency updates.
- Don’t wait, evacuate: Listen and watch for evacuation warnings and orders. An evacuation warning means get ready to leave. An evacuation order means leave immediately.
