Sacramento, CA…California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci early Friday morning secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the Woolsey Fire burning in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. The FMAG also enables local, state and tribal agencies to recover eligible costs.

The fire has burned more than 7,500 acres and is threatening structures and critical infrastructure in and near the communities of Bell Canyon, Oak Park, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Hidden Hills, Agoura and other local areas. The Ventura County Fire Department tweeted early Friday morning that 30,000 residents are under mandatory evacuation orders, multiple structures have been destroyed and and road closures in place. Cal OES, in working with Ventura and Los Angeles area fire departments, has mobilized multiple immediate need for strike teams and firefighters including aircraft, fire engines, dozers and water tenders.

Cal OES Fire and Southern Region personnel are currently working with other response agencies to address all emergency management, evacuation and mutual aid needs for the incident. Sustained high winds and dry weather have made ideal environment for dangerous fire conditions throughout the region.

The FEMA federal grant, which is provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund on cost-share basis, will assist local, state and tribal agencies responding to the fire to apply for 75-percent reimbursement of their eligible fire suppression costs.

Additional information is available at:

Woolsey Fire Information – http://VCEmergency.com
Ventura County Fire Department – VCFD_PIO (Twitter @VCFD and @VCFD_PIO)
Los Angeles County Fire Department – LACoFDPIO (Twitter @LACoFDPIO)
Los Angeles City Fire Department LAFD (Twitter @LAFD)
Fire Management Assistance Grants – http://bit.ly/10v6hjJ
Cal OES Twitter @Cal_OES
Governor’s Office of Emergency Services – http://www.caloes.ca.gov/