Trump administration rejects emergency aid for California fires, including biggest blaze in state history - Washington Post

But the Trump administration this week refused to grant an emergency declaration that would open up hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for areas devastated in those fires, California state officials confirmed to The Washington Post early Friday.

President Trump has previously threatened to withhold emergency fire aid to California over disputed claims that the state isn’t doing enough to prevent wildfires.

“The state plans to appeal the decision and believes we have a strong case that California’s request meets the federal requirements for approval,” Brian Ferguson, a spokesman for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said in a statement to The Post.

White House spokesman Judd Deere noted, in a statement to The Post: “This summer, President Trump quickly approved wildfire relief for the State of California that was supported by damage estimates.

In fact, this week the President made additional disaster assistance available to California by authorizing an increase in the level of Federal funding to 100% for debris removal and emergency protective measures undertaken as a result of the wildfires, beginning August 14, 2020, and continuing.

In public, Trump has often been belligerent toward California’s Democratic-dominated state government, blaming their oversight for record-setting fires.

The state “continues to aggressively pursue other available avenues for reimbursement/support to help individuals and communities impacted by these fires rebuild and recover,” he said in a statement