Trump reverses California wildfire decision, will release assistance to Creek Fire victims
President Donald Trump Friday declared a “major disaster exists in the State of California”— and that could mean hundreds of millions of dollars to help recover from the state’s worst fire season in history.
Two days ago, the Trump administration rejected pleas for assistance that could total $346 million, but Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif.,were told the White House had changed course.
Trump Friday night officially issued the declaration that orders federal assistance to areas affected by wildfires beginning on Sept. 4 and continuing.
The actrion makes federal funding available to those affected in Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Siskiyou counties.
The assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster, and federal money is available to local, tribal and state governments.
It’s also available to certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures in the impacted counties.
The assistance will help homeowners and others recover from the aftermath of six fires that began in early September, including the massive Creek Fire in Fresno and Madera counties and the El Dorado Fire in San Bernardino County, which was started by a pyrotechnic device at a gender-reveal party.
McClintock, a Republican whose district includes the Creek Fire burn zone, said in a tweet that House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., “has just informed me that the President has committed to reverse FEMA’s decision to deny the request for a federal disaster declaration for the recent fires. The Presidential Disaster Declaration is imminent and help is on the way.”
No figures were provided. In his letter to Trump requesting federal help, Newsom said California would need $200 million just for the aftermath of the Creek Fire, the largest single-incident fire in state history. As of Saturday morning it had burned 346,477 acres and was 60% contained with full containment not expected until Halloween. The cause is under investigation.
“Just got off the phone with President Trump who has approved our major disaster declaration request. Grateful for his quick response,” Newsom said in a statement Friday.
His office explained that a presidential major disaster declaration helps people in the impacted counties through eligibility for support including crisis counseling, housing and unemployment assistance and legal services. It also gives federal aid to help state, tribal and local governments fund emergency response, recovery and protective measures.
FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, had already approved funds to help Cal Fire and other agencies battle the early September fires. But the White House refused initially to approve a presidential disaster declaration, which would free up funding for post-fire recovery.
Explaining the original decision, FEMA press secretary Lizzie Litzow said “the early September fires were not of such severity and magnitude to exceed the combined capabilities of the state, affected local governments, voluntary agencies and other responding federal agencies.”
Newsom, in his formal request for the funds in late September, told the president that “recovery efforts remain beyond the state’s capabilities.”
Jerry Quinn, a Sacramento consultant who helps local governments deal with FEMA, said Trump’s abrupt turnaround was remarkable. “That’s the fastest reversal I’ve ever seen and I’ve been doing it for 35 years,” he said.
Trump has sparred with Newsom’s administration over a variety of issues, including wildfires. At times he has threatened to curtail aid for wildfire cleanup to the state, claiming it has not adequately managed its forests, even though Washington controls more than half of the state’s forested lands.
During his recent visit to Sacramento to discuss wildfires with state leaders, Trump received a brief, impromptu lecture on global warming from Wade Crowfoot, the secretary of the Natural Resources Agency. The exchange between the two men went viral.
The rejection of the disaster declaration could have left California with difficulty trying to deal with the price of recovering from the most devastating fire season in the state’s history. In his request for aid, Newsom noted that the state’s finances have suffered greatly from the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
McClintock is seeking an seventh two-year term in a district that stretches across the state from Elk Grove to the Nevada border. and south through the Creek Fire zones in eastern Madera and Fresno counties. He faces a competitive challenge from Democrat Brynne Kennedy.
This story was originally published October 16, 2020 at 1:58 PM.
.jpg)