State approves county's request for wildfire debris cleanup funds
(Photo by the author)
The California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) has approved Solano County’s request for financial assistance related to wildfire debris cleanup programs in the wake of August’s LNU Lightning Complex fire.
In a newsletter scheduled to be distributed to members of the Solano County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, a county official said a letter sent to CalOES requesting financial assistance for wildfire cleanup programs was awaiting a response.
Solano News Update reached out to county and state officials on Monday with questions about the request for funds. On Tuesday, a Cal OES spokesperson said the state “did receive Solano County’s request for debris removal assistance” and the request has been approved.
“Cal OES has informed the county that the request was approved and is sorting out the details on that phase,” Brad Alexander, a public information officer for Cal OES, said by email. “Solano County has been approved for all categories of public assistance via FEMA, which includes debris removal.”
In a separate email, a county official confirmed state officials reached out to their counterparts in Solano County with an approval for the requested funds. The funds relate to the second phase of wildfire cleanup for the removal of debris from structures that burned.
“We have not received details from FEMA or the State on how the Phase 2 process will be initiated but hope to hear something this week,” Bill Emlen, the county’s director of resource management, wrote in an email to Solano News Update.
The initial phase of wildfire cleanup, which involved the removal of household hazardous wastes at affected properties, is nearly complete, Emlen said.
The Board of Supervisors will receive additional updates on the county’s response to the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire at Tuesday’s meeting.
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