A firefighter sprays water while keeping an eye on the flames from the Hughes Fire along a roadside in Castaic, California, on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. AP Photo
California is taking swift action to help the Los Angeles area recover from the recent deadly wildfires, with a relief package totaling $2.5 billion. Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed the relief measures into law on Thursday after they were approved by the state Legislature with bipartisan support. These new laws are designed to address the immediate needs of communities affected by the devastating wildfires that have claimed lives and destroyed homes in Southern California.
The $2.5 billion will be directed toward emergency disaster response efforts, including evacuations, sheltering survivors, and cleaning up hazardous waste left behind by the fires. Local governments will receive $4 million to help speed up the rebuilding process for homes that were destroyed, while $1 million will go toward assisting school districts in the area to rebuild their facilities and ensure that education can continue.
“This is about distilling a sense of hopefulness,” Governor Newsom said during a press conference in Pasadena, a city that has been grappling with the aftermath of one of the fires that broke out earlier in January. Newsom emphasized that the funding will provide much-needed support to those who have lost everything, offering a path forward for rebuilding and recovery.
The announcement comes just a day before President Donald Trump is set to visit California to assess the damage caused by the blazes. Trump has suggested that any federal wildfire relief should come with conditions, which has sparked a response from California lawmakers. Some Republicans have rejected this idea, while former President Joe Biden approved some disaster aid for the region earlier this month.
In response to the growing crisis, Governor Newsom had called lawmakers into a special session in November to prepare for potential legal battles against the Trump administration. However, the situation changed as major fires erupted in the Los Angeles area. The governor shifted focus to prioritize funding for wildfire relief, expanding the special session to include the passage of recovery measures. Republican lawmakers, who initially pushed for a focus on fire recovery rather than legal matters, were instrumental in the swift passage of the legislation.
State Senator Kelly Seyarto, a Republican, expressed frustration that Newsom didn’t act sooner on the fire relief funding but ultimately voted in favor of the bills. Seyarto stressed the importance of bipartisan efforts to create a comprehensive plan for fire response and prevention moving forward. “We need a plan from all of us to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” he said.
The fires have already claimed a devastating toll on the region. The largest of the recent Southern California fires started on January 7 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, killing 11 people. Another fire, the Eaton Fire, broke out the same day near Altadena, claiming 17 lives. The region is now facing the challenges posed by the ongoing Hughes Fire, which has spread across more than 15 square miles and prompted evacuation orders for over 50,000 people.
State Senate President Mike McGuire acknowledged the scale of the disaster, calling the fires “nothing short of devastating.” Despite the challenges, he assured residents that the state would stand by them as they recover. “But we promise we have your back, and we’re going to get through this,” he said.
Governor Newsom also revealed a commitment by 270 state-chartered banks and lenders to offer mortgage relief to homeowners affected by the fires in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Additionally, Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, who represents the Encino area, shared his personal experience, having been forced to evacuate his family for six days during the Palisades Fire. Gabriel called the relief funding the first step in supporting wildfire survivors and protecting communities from future fires. He pointed out that no community is safe from the threat of wildfires, as the tragedy in Los Angeles has proven.
