Siskiyou County will get 'Major Disaster Declaration,' Congressman LaMalfa says

SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif. — The Trump administration has reportedly approved a request for a disaster declaration related to wildfires in Siskiyou County, California.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s request for federal aid was submitted last month after wildfires raged across northern California and beyond. According to the White House, the president agreed with FEMA that the initial request “was not supported by the relevent data” and it was denied.

However, Congressman Doug LaMalfa later confimed Siskiyou County would be getting a Major Disaster Delcaration from the president. LaMalfa issued the following statement on the afternoon of October 16:

“The President has listened to the North State’s calls for additional disaster assistance for Siskiyou County, reversing FEMA’s denial of the original request for aid. Working with our contacts at the White House and with House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, we were all able to impress on the President and his team to take another look at the FEMA denial. We expect an announcement by the President overriding that decision will be forthcoming. A Major Disaster Declaration will help address the high cost of recovery. I have been engaged with the Trump Administration on this issue for several weeks, and I thank the President for responding to the State of California’s request for aid. Keep in your prayers the families who lost their loved ones, those who lost their homes in Happy Camp, and our first responders who are working to extinguish fires in California. My office will continue to assist with the federal and state response to wildfires across the North State.”