Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. issued the following statement after the White House today approved yesterday’s gubernatorial request for federal assistance to help with the impacts of wildfires burning in Northern California:

“The Federal Emergency Management Agency has responded promptly to assist California in fighting these terrible fires. I appreciate the fast response from the President.”

Yesterday, the Governor declared a state of emergency for Napa, Sonoma and Yuba counties as well as Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Nevada and Orange counties due to the effects of multiple fires, and requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to support the state and local response to the Northern California fires.

The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has also activated the State Operations Center in Mather, California to its highest level and is coordinating closely with other local, state and federal emergency response officials to address all emergency management needs.

The state’s top emergency management officials, including the leaders of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, CAL FIRE, California Highway Patrol and the California National Guard, will hold a media briefing at the State Operations Center (3650 Schriever Ave., Mather, California) today at approximately 11:30 a.m.