Gov. Newsom asks Congress for nearly $40 billion for wildfire relief

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CNS) -- Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking Congress to approve nearly $40 billion in aid to help Los Angeles recover from January's wildfires, which many officials have described as the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

Newsom sent a letter Friday to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and other top congressional officials.

"It's going to take an all-hands-on-deck approach to rebuild from the devastating fires in LA," Newsom posted Friday on X. "I'm asking Congress to have the back of the American people and provide disaster funding to help Californians recover and rebuild as soon as possible."

The governor's request consists of $16.8 billion from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, most intended to rebuild property and infrastructure, and an additional $5 billion for debris cleanup; $9.9 billion from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for grants for homeowners, renters and businesses; $5.29 billion from the Small Business Administration for homeowner and business loans; $4.32 billion in recovery grants for local governments from the Economic Development Administration; and $2 billion in low- income housing tax credits from the IRS.

Los Angeles Councilmember Monica Rodriguez said she was "incredibly outraged and disappointed" in Mayor Bass' firing of LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley.

At least 16,250 structures were destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton fires, which broke out Jan. 7 amid winds of 80 to 100 mph. The rebuilding effort is still only just beginning in the Palisades, Malibu and Altadena areas.

On Saturday, officials marked the first wildfire-damaged property cleared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers following the start of Phase 2 of the debris removal process in Malibu. Phase I involved the clearance of hazardous waste overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Earlier this week, the Corps of Engineers launched an interactive viewer for fire victims to track live updates on Phase 2. It's available atop the Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District Wildfire Debris Removal Mission page.

The agency anticipates that all eligible properties that enroll into the program by the deadline on March 31 will be cleared to rebuild by January 2026.

Residents impacted by the wildfires were encouraged to submit the ROE forms to authorize debris removal at their properties at recovery.lacounty.gov or in person at a Disaster Recovery Center.

For several days during the fires, lead levels in the air just south of the Eaton Canyon Fire increased roughly 110-fold, a new CDC study shows.

Also Saturday, officials announced the arrest of a Valencia woman for allegedly stealing valuable antiques from a fire-damaged residence in Pacific Palisades on Friday. Authorities reported a slew of alleged burglary attempts in the Palisades and Eaton burn areas in the days and weeks after the fires.

Meanwhile, Southland air regulators have launched a dashboard that shows particulate matter data from two monitoring sites set up this week in the Eaton and Palisades fire areas. The monitors collect data hourly, and results are available online in near real-time, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which uses data from the sites to evaluate air quality near staging areas, truck activity and other locations impacted by cleanup activities.

The monitoring sites are located near Altadena Golf Course and Will Rogers State Beach.

The dashboard is accessible by clicking on the map on the SCAQMD's wildfire response page.