Firefighters battling Caldor Fire could soon receive federal assistance after containing more of the fire on Wednesday.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday afternoon asked President Joe Biden and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to declare a Presidential Emergency in El Dorado, Alpine, Amador and Placer counties and provide federal assistance to response and recovery efforts.
The governor announced a few hours after requesting the aid that the White House approved a Presidential Emergency Declaration for Direct Federal Assistance.
By granting an emergency declaration for the Caldor Fire, the federal government will supplement "state, local and tribal government emergency services," according to a statement by Newsom.
“We thank President Biden and Vice President Harris for their steadfast support to California as we battle these challenging fires,” said Newsom. “Our continued partnership with the federal government is critical to protecting communities and ensuring impacted Californians have the supports they need to get back on their feet.”
The Caldor Fire grew to 207,931 acres as of Wednesday night, but firefighters contained 23 percent of the blaze by Cal Fire's 7 p.m. update. Just 18 percent of the fire was contained as of the same time Tuesday, and only 14 percent was contained on Monday night.
Newsom wrote in his letter to Biden and federal officials that the Caldor Fire was straining federal, state and local firefighting resources. California had received just 36 of the 150 fire engines it requested from other states through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Newsom, and active California wildfires that have already burned nearly 1.6 million acres "are stretching firefighting resources to their limits."
"Although Californians are resilient and step up to the challenge, when disasters hit one right after another, assistance is needed from the federal government," Newsom wrote.
By Monday, Newsom had declared a state of emergency in each of the four aforementioned counties. Evacuation orders were underway in South Lake Tahoe for the first time on Monday, and those orders extended across state lines for the first time on Tuesday when Douglas County, Nevada also mandated evacuations.
Newsom wrote to the president that "significant evacuation efforts are underway" for nearly 56,000 residents in the four California counties, with almost 1,000 estimated to be sheltering in Nevada. All four counties are disproportionately elderly and disabled, according to the state's demographic data.
Wednesday's letter marked the second time in as many weeks that California has requested federal assistance due to ongoing wildfires.
Last week, the White House approved Newsom’s request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration in Lassen, Nevada, Placer and Plumas counties due to the Dixie and River fires. The latter was fully contained as of Aug. 13, but the Dixie Fire continued to impact residents in Lassen and Plumas counties as of Wednesday night.
The Dixie Fire was 52 percent contained by 7:25 p.m. on Wednesday, but evacuation orders and warnings were still in place in Lassen, Plumas and Shasta counties. Evacuation warnings were also in effect in Tehama County.
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