On his first day on the job, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday proposed $105 million in new spending to prevent, fight and escape wildfires following one of the state's worst fire seasons.
Newsom's plan, which is in addition to $200 million approved by lawmakers last year, includes funding to help local governments improve communication during emergencies and to modernize the state's 911 system. He announced his proposals from a fire station in the Sierra Nevada foothills, a high-risk fire area.
“I place no greater emphasis, energy and sense of urgency on the issue of public safety,” Newsom said.
Wildfires ravaged both northern and southern California in 2018 while Newsom served as the lieutenant governor. The Camp Fire killed a record 86 people — making it the nation's deadliest in a century — and destroyed about 14,000 homes while wiping out the town of Paradise. The Woolsey and Hill fires sparked on the same day, the former forcing a quarter of a million people to evacuate in 18 hours, including celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga.
In the summer, the Carr and Delta fires scorched the areas around Redding, collectively burning 115,000 acres, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
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Newsom said the state's budget will include funding to make up for three years worth of property tax losses in Butte and Lake counties, where multiple fires have burned in the past few years.
Millions will go toward developing better communications strategies and improving emergency alert systems, Newsom said, after local governments faced criticism for not warning some residents to evacuate.
To update California's 911 analog system, Newsom said he'll designate $10 million. While he won't push for it this year, Newsom said state lawmakers will likely need to pass a consumer fee to fully modernize the system.
A bulk of the $305 million in funding will go toward forest management and fuel reduction that's already been approved by the state legislature, Newsom said. Other proposals he announced include buying new fire engines to pre-deploy in fire prone areas, improving camera technology to monitor fire threats and fixing up firefighting aircraft.
Republican Assemblyman Jim Gallagher, who represents Paradise, said there was “a lot to like” in Newsom’s proposal.
“This shows he’s ready to hit the ground running, and it’s an issue we certainly are both concerned about and will be working together on,” Gallagher said.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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