Cal OES Director Secures Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA for CA Response Agencies to Cover Costs of Butte Fire

SACRAMENTO – California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci today 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 Butte Fire burning in Amador and Calaveras counties. The FMAG also enables local, state and tribal agencies to recover eligible costs.

As of today, the fire has burned more than 4,000 acres and is 20% contained, threatening homes in the area east of Jackson and northeast of Mokelumne Hill. Evacuations are already underway south of Highway 88. Emergency shelters have been set up at Jackson Rancheria Hotel, San Andreas Town Hall, Calaveras County Animal Shelter and Calaveras County Fairgrounds. The fire began at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 9.

The recent high heat, as well as rugged, steep and brush-covered terrain has made for difficult firefighting conditions.

The FMAG, 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: