Cost to fight wildfires adds up quickly for Calif.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- The costs to fight the wildfires raging through California are
adding up quickly for the cash-strapped state.
The state has spent $106.5 million of its $182 million emergency firefighting fund -- just two months into the fiscal year, Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer said. The budget was increased this year from $69 million in 2008-09 to more accurately reflect annual firefighting costs, he said.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that the unpredictable costs are also the reason he wanted to ensure California had a $500 million reseve fund this year.
The Republican governor used his line-item veto authority to cut $489 million from social service programs in the budget the state Legislature sent him in July to restore the reserve fund.
"This is why this reserve is so important, when you get into situations like this when there's unexpected fires coming up," Schwarzenegger said. "It's important for everyone to know that we have the money available to fight these fires no matter how many fires we have."
California has also applied for six grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help fight fires.
If they are approved, the federal government would reimburse California for 75 percent of the costs to contain and put out those fires, said Kelly Huston, assistant secretary of the California Emergency Management Agency.
The grants only apply to extraordinary wildfires that force local and state governments to incur large costs, "because of the magnitude of the fire and the threat to life and property," Huston said.
President Barack Obama has said he would do what he could to help state and local governments.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Tuesday that White House is receiving regular updates on the wildfires, and will continue to monitor the situation.
Gibbs said President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama send their condolences to the familes of two Los Angeles County firefighters who died battling the Station fire over the weekend.
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