Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Young Kim (CA-40) and Lou Correa (CA-46) sent a letter to Nancy Ward, Director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal EOS), demanding retroactive grant support for Orange County in the wake of last year’s Airport Fire. In the immediate wake of the fire, the County’s Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) request submitted was denied—and has since had significant consequences for local residents and emergency response capabilities.
Despite the fire’s aggressive behavior, widespread evacuations, and the threat to residential structures, the FMAG request was placed “on hold.” The rationale cited—insufficient threat level and lack of residential impact—was inconsistent with the on-the-ground conditions reported by first responders.
“We are concerned that the denial of this FMAG request reflects a misjudgment of the situation’s urgency and impact,” Kim and Correa lambasted. “The Airport Fire posed a clear and present danger to life and property, and the County of Orange acted swiftly and in good faith to seek state support. It is important to note that Riverside County, which was also impacted by the Airport Fire, received their FMAG declaration on September 11 despite less structure loss than Orange County.”
The Orange County Fire Authority and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department continued to engage with Cal OES through multiple revised submissions, then through additional follow up. These efforts were met with either no response or continued denial, despite mounting evidence of the fire’s severity and the financial burden placed on local agencies.
“We respectfully request that Cal OES reconsider and approve the FMAG request retroactively,” they added, “acknowledging the critical need for federal assistance in mitigating the effects of this disaster and supporting our local emergency services.”
You can read the full text of the letter HERE.
