Small Town News

Wildfires prove to be costly for state

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- The costs to fight the wildfires raging through California are adding up quickly for the cash-strapped state.

The state has spent $106.5 million of its $182 million emergency fire-fighting fund, just two months into the fiscal year, Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer said. The budget was increased this fiscal year from $69 million a year ago to more accurately reflect annual firefighting costs, he said.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday the unpredictable costs were also the reason he wanted to ensure California had a $500 million reserve fund this year.

To restore the reserve fund, the Republican governor used his line-item veto authority to cut $489 million from social service programs in the budget the state Legislature sent him in July.

"This is why this reserve is so important, when you get into situations like this when there's unexpected fires coming up," Schwarzenegger said during a news conference in San Bernardino County, where wildfires threatened nearly 3,000 homes.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved six grants to help California fight fires. The state will be reimbursed for 75 percent of the costs to contain and put out those fires, said Kelly Huston, assistant secretary of the California Emergency Management Agency.

The grants only apply to extraordinary wildfires that force local and state governments to incur large costs "because of the magnitude of the fire and the threat to life and property," Huston said.

President Barack Obama has said he would do what he could to help state and local governments.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the White House is receiving regular updates on the wildfires and will monitor the situation.

Gibbs said Obama and first lady Michelle Obama send their condolences to the families of two Los Angeles County firefighters who died battling the Station fire over the weekend.



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© 2009 Independent Coast Observer Gualala, California. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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