Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today met with local leaders and fire and emergency management officials at the Carr Fire Incident Command Post in Shasta County and officially requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to bolster the ongoing emergency response and help residents recover from the devastating fires burning in Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Shasta counties.

“Battling these relentless fires requires a Herculean effort,” said Governor Brown in the request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration sent today to the White House. “Additional federal assistance is needed immediately to reduce the direct threat to public health and safety.”

If granted, a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration would make individuals in the impacted counties eligible for a number of programs and support, including crisis counseling, unemployment assistance, food aid and legal services. The declaration would also help state, tribal and local governments with ongoing emergency response and recovery, including the repair and replacement of disaster-damaged facilities and infrastructure, including roads, bridges and utilities.

There are 17 major fires currently burning across the state, causing extensive damage to residences and infrastructure. More than 14,000 firefighters from California and 17 other states are working the front lines of wildfires statewide.

Last week, Governor Brown declared a state of emergency in Shasta, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Riverside and Mariposa counties due to multiple fires and requested and secured federal aid to further support communities impacted by the Carr Fire.

Earlier this week, Governor Brown joined the state’s top emergency management officials at the State Operations Center in Mather to provide an update on the ongoing fire fight. The State Operations Center is activated to its highest level to help local, state and federal emergency response officials address emergency management needs.

At its peak, the Carr Fire forced more than 35,000 Shasta and Trinity county residents to seek temporary shelter – and thousands remain evacuated. To date, the fire has burned more than 140,000 acres and is about 40 percent contained.

The Lake and Mendocino county fires, also known as the Mendocino Complex, have destroyed 55 structures and continue to threaten thousands more. To date, the fires have burned more than 200,000 acres and approximately 18,000 Lake and Mendocino county residents remain evacuated.

The Steele Fire in Napa County destroyed eight structures and forced 300 residents to evacuate