Golden State Today

SACRAMENTO – In a swift move to support the state’s response to the Thompson Fire, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This grant aims to ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the fire burning in Butte County.

The fast-moving Thompson Fire ignited earlier today near the community of Kelly Ridge and has burned more than 2,100 acres, forcing the evacuation of more than 13,000 people.

The FMAG, provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund on a cost-share basis, will assist local, state, and tribal agencies responding to the fire by allowing them to apply for 75-percent reimbursement of their eligible fire suppression costs.

Earlier this week, Governor Newsom activated the State Operations Center to coordinate the state’s response. This includes dispatching mutual aid and supporting local communities as they respond to threats posed by heat and fire during the early July heat wave.