President Trump declared an emergency in California on Friday as wildfires continue to char swaths of the state.
The declaration, which allows federal assistance to supplement the state and local response to the fires, came a day after California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) sent a letter to Trump asking him to declare an emergency in the state.
The president’s order on Friday allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts in the areas affected by the wildfires.
Earlier this week, Brown declared states of emergency in Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties, which have faced rapidly spreading wildfires in recent days.
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The fires, fed by dry, unpredictable winds, have destroyed thousands of acres of property and destroyed hundreds of buildings in just a few short days.
Earlier this year, wildfires ripped through wine country in Northern California, killing 44 people and creating billions of dollars worth of damage.
In his request for Trump to declare an emergency in California, Brown said the state’s resources have been “severely impacted” by a number of disasters to strike California this year, including other destructive wildfires and severe flooding.
“I have determined this incident is of such severity and magnitude that continued effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments and supplemental federal assistance is necessary to save lives and to protect property, public health and safety, and to lessen the effects of this imminent catastrophe,” Brown wrote in his request.