OAKLAND, Calif. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today has authorized the use of federal funds to help the state of California combat the Springs Fire in Ventura County.

The state of California submitted a request for a fire management assistance declaration today for the Springs Fire burning in Ventura County. At the time of the request, the fire was threatening 300 homes and 3,000 apartments in and around Camarillo Springs, Dos Vientos, and California State University, Channel Islands, with a total area population of about 10,000. All of the threatened homes are primary residences. So far, the fire has burned in excess of 2,000 acres of state and private land.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to reimburse 75 percent of the eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling the fire.

The President’s Disaster Relief Fund provides funding for federal fire management grants made avail-able 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.

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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.