Trump Administration Reverses Course, Grants Newsom's Request For Wildfire Relief
SACRAMENTO (CBSLA) -- The federal government has approved Gov. Gavin Newsom's request for help following two major Southern California wildfires, just one day after it was announced that the request would be denied.
On Friday morning, Newsom tweeted that the state would be appealing the federal government's decision to deny its request for a Major Disaster Declaration to bolster the state's emergency response to the wildfires and support impacted residents in Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, San Bernardino, San Diego and Siskiyou counties.
A few hours later, the governor issued another tweet stating that President Trump had decided to grant the request.
Just got off phone with @realDonaldTrump who has approved our Major Disaster Declaration request.
Grateful for his quick response. https://t.co/rF7VFqSENl
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) October 16, 2020
"Just got off the phone with President Trump who has approved our Major Disaster Declaration request. Grateful for his quick response," he wrote.
The presidential Major Disaster Declaration can help provide crisis counseling, housing, unemployment assistance, legal services, and more to those impacted by the unprecedented wildfires in Southern California, including the Bobcat Fire ravaged the San Gabriel mountains and the El Dorado Fire tore through the mountains of San Bernardino.
California emergency leaders say the request can provide hundreds of millions of dollars to the state.
The federal government had previously issued such declaration for the Northern California wildfires.