LA County receives $3.78 million in wildfire recovery funds

Los Angeles County is receiving over $3.78 million in federal grants for rebuilding efforts from wildfires that devastated the state in 2018, with an additional $47,000 going to the city of Malibu.

Overall, the state is receiving more than $317 million to assist seven jurisdictions that continue to recover from the 2018 federally declared disasters, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday.

“California remains committed to uplifting and supporting every community impacted by devastating wildfires as they work to rebuild,” Newsom said in a statement. “Rebuilding after communities are tragically destroyed due to extreme weather is an opportunity to restore economic opportunities and strengthen communities giving them an opportunity to heal.”

Wildfires burned more than 1.6 million acres and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses in 2018, particularly in the town of Paradise, in Butte County.

The Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds are for foundational infrastructure projects that must be completed as communities work to build and rebuild needed housing.

In August 2018, the Carr Fire and the Mendocino Complex Fire erupted in Northern California, followed in November 2018 by the Camp Fire and the Woolsey Fire.

The latter blaze burned nearly 97,000 acres in Los Angeles and Venture counties, destroying 1,643 structures and resulting in three deaths.

“We are inspired by residents coming together and working in partnership with the state to rebuild their lives, restore economic opportunities and create a more resilient future,” said Lourdes Castro Ramírez, Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency secretary.

“These dollars represent a major milestone for communities that withstood unimaginable tragedy because of these devastating wildfires. We will continue to work closely with our federal partners in the Biden Administration to bring resources to communities faster and more equitably when disasters hit,” Ramírez continued.

Communities were awarded funding based on their unmet infrastructure needs and have the flexibility to use the grants to support projects based on their priorities.

The total amount of the grants breaks down as follows:

— Butte County, $72.7 million;

— City of Chico, $12.38 million;

— City of Malibu, $47,276.93;

— City of Redding, $22.5 million;

— City of Shasta Lake, $6.3 million;

— Los Angeles County, $3.788 million;

— Town of Paradise, $199.5 million.