County Eligible for Emergency Fire Aid
In a financial boost that will help pay the city’s October firefighting bill, Ventura County has been added to the list of Southern California counties eligible for emergency aid, federal and state recovery officials announced Thursday.
Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties were previously eligible under the emergency declaration.
More than 125 engine companies and 500 firefighters on Oct. 25 battled wind-driven flames that scorched 475 acres of hillside in Ventura. Backyards were singed, but no homes were burned.
Light rainfall, a shift in the wind and an army of firefighters kept the flames at bay. Still, the all-night effort cost the city and county nearly $365,000.
The federal funding will cover 75% of certain firefighting costs, which include suppression as well as debris removal and the barricading of streets. The state will cover 18.75% of the remaining costs, and the city will cover 6.25%.
To qualify for emergency assistance, city officials must first apply to the state officials, who then forward the application to the federal government.
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