Governor Newsom meets with frontline firefighters battling unprecedented Los Angeles firestorms

Damaging winds, extreme fire conditions

Working around the clock day and night, highly trained personnel equipped with a host of specialized gear tirelessly fought these record-breaking firestorms.

With the possibility for very rapid fire spread, on January 6, CAL FIRE and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services  strategically pre-positioned hundreds of firefighting personnel, fire engines, handcrews, aircraft and additional support in key fire-prone areas – augmenting regional capacity during this particularly dangerous weather event.

Then, on January 7, firefighters and first responders rushed by ground and air to battle major blazes – like the Palisades and Eaton fires – fanned by hurricane-force 100 mph winds

“In my 34 years as a firefighter, I have never seen fire conditions in January like those we experienced,” said CAL FIRE Director Chief Joe Tyler. 

“The Eaton Fire was something we have never experienced – winds were gusting over 100 mph,” said Pasadena Fire Department Apparatus Engineer Sean Katt.

The state continued to surge resources to Southern California to fight these wildfires and protect the public safety of the impacted communities – while local, state and federal firefighters simultaneously stopped the forward spread and contained at least 14 other blazes. 

“Already being prepositioned in Southern California allowed us to arrive to the Palisades Fire quickly compared to driving across the state,” said CAL FIRE Battalion Chief John Slate who is stationed in Merced County.

Historic state response

At its height, 16,000+ personnel were battling blazes across Southern California, including firefighters from CAL FIRE, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and local government. 

Response efforts have included more than 2,000 pieces of firefighting equipment – 1,490+ engines, 80+ aircraft, 200+ dozers and 210+ water tenders to aid in putting out the fires. 

The Governor deployed a surge of California Highway Patrol Special Response Teams to provide ongoing law enforcement capacity to further protect fire damaged communities in Los Angeles. In addition, Governor Newsom ordered the activation of more than 2,500 California National Guard service members to augment firefighting operations and support local law enforcement to protect communities from looting. Also strengthening public safety efforts, the Governor signed an executive order directing state agencies to support local law enforcement partners as they lift evacuation orders.  

Overall, multiple countries, 12 states, and tribal governments would augment the larger response to these firestorms.

Looking to recovery

As the state now focuses on helping families recover from these historic wildfires, the state on Wednesday deployed specialized debris flow teams to Southern California ahead of wet weather.

On Thursday, signed a $2.5 billion bipartisan relief package to help Los Angeles rebuild faster from the firestorms. 

In addition, the Governor has issued a number of executive orders to help aid in rebuilding and recovery, including:

• Providing tax relief to those impacted by the fires, California postponed the individual tax filing deadline for Los Angeles County taxpayers. Additionally, the state extended the sales and use tax filing deadline for Los Angeles County taxpayers  — providing critical tax relief for businesses. 
• Rebuilding Los Angeles faster and stronger by streamlining the rebuilding of homes and businesses destroyed — suspending permitting and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act.
• Fast-tracking temporary housing, helping provide necessary shelter for those immediately impacted by the firestorms and making it easier to streamline construction of accessory dwelling units, allow for more temporary trailers and other housing, and suspend fees for mobile home parks.  
• Mobilizing debris removal and cleanup by directing fast action on debris removal work and mitigating the potential for mudslides and flooding in areas burned and allowing expert federal hazmat crews to start cleaning up properties as a key step in getting people back to their properties safely.
• Safeguarding survivors from price gouging by expanding restrictions to protect survivors from illegal price hikes on rent, hotel and motel costs, and building materials or construction. 
• Getting kids back in the classroom to quickly assist displaced students in the Los Angeles area and bolster schools affected by the firestorms.
• Protecting firestorm survivors from predatory land speculators making aggressive and unsolicited cash offers to purchase survivors’ property.

For those Californians impacted by the firestorms in Los Angeles, there are resources available.

Get help today

Californians can go to CA.gov/LAfires – a hub for information and resources from state, local and federal government.  

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses from wildfires in Los Angeles County can apply for disaster assistance:

• Online at DisasterAssistance.gov
• By calling 800-621-3362
• By using the FEMA smart phone application
• Assistance is available in over 40 languages
• If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.