Emergency Repair Grant Awarded for Valley Fire Damage

Photos of the aftermath of the Valley Fire by Al Francis, NapaSonomaPhotos.com

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration has awarded a $2 million emergency relief grant for road and infrastructure damage repairs from the Valley Fire in Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties.

U.S. Rep Mike Thompson announced the grant today.

“The Valley Fire is the third worst fire in California’s history and had caused untold amounts of damage to infrastructure,” Thompson said in a news release. “There is a lot of rebuilding and recovery ahead of us, and repairing our roads is a big part of that process. I commend the FHA for their swift approval of these funds. They will help greatly as our community works to get back on its feet,” Thompson said.

The Valley Fire damaged pavement, signs, guardrails and safety features, destabilizing slopes and embankments as well as leaving debris from burned trees and structures, Thompson said.

The emergency relief grants are awarded to a state after the President or Governor issues a formal emergency declaration and the state files a request for the funds to cover costs of damage to its eligible highways.

Gov. Jerry Brown Monday requested Presidential major disaster declarations for the state following the Valley and Butte fires. A disaster declaration triggers the release of federal funds to support fire victims and supplement state and local disaster recovery efforts.

The work that is eligible for the federal funds includes repairs to restore essential traffic, minimize the extent of damage, protect the remaining facilities and make permanent repairs necessary to restore the highway to its pre-disaster condition, Thompson’s office said.

The Valley Fire in Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties started Sept. 12 near Cobb in Lake County. It destroyed 1,910 structures that include 1,238 single-family homes, 23 multi-family homes, 64 commercial structures and 585 other structures such as sheds and smaller outbuildings, according to Cal Fire.

Three people died and four firefighters were injured.

The 76,067-acre fire was 75 percent contained today.

--Bay City News