The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that federal emergency aid has been made available to the state of California to supplement state, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from wildfires beginning on December 4, 2017, and continuing.
The President’s action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe. This declaration is for Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.
Mark Armstrong has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response operations in the affected area. Armstrong said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further evaluation.