The Los Angeles Post

BOARD CALLS FOR FEDERAL AND STATE ASSISTANCE FOR WILDFIRE RECOVERY

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LOS ANGELES, CA (January 21, 2025) – The LA County Board has taken decisive action to address the devastation caused by the January 2025 wildfires, approving a motion co-authored by Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath and Chair Kathryn Barger to secure critical state and federal resources for emergency response, recovery, and wildfire prevention efforts.

“Our motion directing the County to efficiently pursue state and federal resources will ensure critical support for wildfire recovery efforts,” said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath. “We have been partnering closely with federal agencies, Governor Newsom, and State legislative leaders to secure funding for debris removal, community restoration, and disaster relief. We are immensely grateful for the essential partnership at all levels of government to help our residents regain stability and rebuild. The County will move forward in unity and with urgency.”

“The wildfires have had an immense impact on our County, but it’s difficult to truly capture the scale and scope of support that’s needed for residents to recover,” said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger. “We must use every tool at our disposal to help our communities rebuild. I’m a proud coauthor of this motion because it keeps us moving forward as we advocate for all the state and federal resources we can draw down to help with recovery. Our Los Angeles County communities are resilient and they’re ready to rebuild. We need to do everything in our power to keep that momentum going.”

The motion directs the Chief Executive Office’s Legislative Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations Branch to: 

  • Advocate for state and federal funding to be directly allocated to local agencies for fire response, debris management, and community recovery efforts.
  • Consult with County departments, including Public Works and Emergency Management, to identify critical legislative and budgetary needs for expediting recovery.
  • Pursue funding for housing relief, rebuilding, wildfire prevention, infrastructure resiliency, and environmental rehabilitation.

Governor Newsom has proposed at least $2.5 billion in state emergency funding, and former President Biden pledged 100% federal support for debris removal and emergency measures for six months. The Board’s motion ensures Los Angeles County’s voice is present in these critical discussions and advocacy efforts.

The Board had a comprehensive discussion of the wildfire response at the meeting, including the support that will be necessary throughout the recovery process. Watch the discussion on YouTube (see item 21-B at the start of the meeting).