Firefighters work along Highway 89 in California on the Caldor Fire. Photo by Bill Rozak/Tahoe Daily Tribune
President Biden on Wednesday night approved an emergency declaration in response to the Caldor Fire.
The president’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts. The request was made by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The declaration can provide grants for temporary housing, home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs intended to help
people and business owners recover, according to a news release from the White House.
Federal funding was also made available to state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures in Alpine, Amador, El Dorado and Placer counties.