CA Gov Newsom Declares State Of Emergency Over Wildfires, Thanks Trump For Aid

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced yesterday that California has secured a FEMA grant to help in the Kincade Fire response.

The grant will help “ensure the availability of resources” and “also enables local, state, and tribal agencies to recover eligible costs.”

“We are grateful for the swift approval of our request to ensure all resources are available to support the heroic work of our firefighters and first responders working to contain this fire and keep local communities safe,” said Governor Newsom.

The FEMA grant will assist local, state, and tribal agencies responding to the fire to apply for 75% reimbursement of their eligible fire suppression costs.

Governor Newsom tweeted his thanks to President Donald Trump on Friday morning.

Thank you, @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/Qvq2wRxndK

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) October 25, 2019

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Additionally, Newsom issued another scathing rebuke of the mass blackouts roiling California, telling the state’s three major investor-owned electric utilities that they have not worked well enough with the government as they cut power to too many people for too long.

“For close to a year now, we’ve been meeting on a consistent basis every damn week with these guys laying out protocols and they’re not meeting those protocols. I don’t think they get it,” he said.

“They’d better step things up. This is simply unacceptable.”

And now, Newsom has declared state of emergency for the counties of Sonoma and Los Angeles due to the Kincade and Tick fires.

NBC Bay Area reports that the Kincade Fire in northern Sonoma County has scorched 21,900 acres, destroyed 49 structures, including 21 homes, and triggered evacuation orders for about 2,000 people in and around Geyersville, a community located about 70 miles north of San Francisco.

The blaze is 5% contained. No injuries have been reported.