Weed, CA…Governor Gavin Newsom traveled to Siskiyou County yesterday where he was briefed by fire and emergency management officials responding to the Lava Fire, which has burned more than 13,300 acres. Earlier today, the state secured federal assistance to help ensure the availability of vital resources to combat the fire, which has forced evacuations in the communities of Lake Shastina and Juniper Valley. The Governor also visited the Craggy Fuel Break, a joint fuel reduction project between the U.S. Forest Service, the state and local entities.

Governor Newsom and state officials gather at Lava Fire Incident Command Post, Governor Newsom and firefighter survey fuel break, Governor Newsom visits Lava Fire Incident Command Post and Craggy Fuel Break.

The Governor has proposed $2 billion in investments for disaster preparedness, including urgent action to support wildfire suppression, improve forest health and build resilience in communities to help protect residents and property from catastrophic wildfires. Investments include $48.4 million to phase in 12 new CAL FIRE HAWK helicopters and seven large air tankers; $143.3 million to support 30 additional fire crews; and an additional $708 million to restore landscape and forest health to be more resilient to wildfires.

In partnership with the Legislature, the Governor signed a $536 million early action wildfire package in April to give the state a head start on projects to restore the ecological health of forests and watersheds, fuel breaks and home hardening for at-risk communities, and improvements to defensible space to mitigate wildfire damage. The California Comeback Plan includes expanded investments for sustainable approaches to emergency response and wildfire preparedness.

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