California To Receive FEMA Funding For The Falls Fire In Riverside County

OAKLAND, Calif. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to assist the state of California combat the Falls Fire currently burning in Riverside County.

On August 5, 2013, the state of California submitted a request for a fire management assistance declaration for the Falls Fire. The authorization of that request makes FEMA funding available to reimburse 75 percent of the eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling the fire.

At the time of the request, the fire was threatening 1,050 primary residence homes in and around the City of Lake Elsinore, the community of Lakeland Village, and the gated community of Rancho Capistrano.  The State of California has further reported that the fire at one point burned in excess of 1,200 acres of federal, state and private land.

The President’s Disaster Relief Fund provides funding for federal fire management grants made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible costs covered by the grant can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; tools, materials and supplies; and mobilization and demobilization activities.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
###