Sacramento, California - California Governor's Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci today secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the Rocky Fire burning in Lake County. The FMAG also enables local, state and tribal agencies to recover eligible costs.

As of this morning, the fire has burned more than 27,000 acres and is 5% contained, threatening homes in the area of the Jerusalem Valley, west of Clear Lake and northwest of Knoxville. More than 12,000 residents in the area have been asked to evacuate. Emergency shelters have been set up at Middletown High School and Kelseyville High School. The fire began approximately at 3:30 p.m. on July 29.

Strong, erratic winds in the area have fed the flames and caused rapid growth in recent days. The rugged, steep and brush-covered terrain has made for difficult firefighting conditions.

The federal grant, which is provided through the President's Disaster Relief Fund on cost-share basis, will assist local, state and tribal agencies responding to the fire to apply for 75-percent reimbursement of their eligible fire suppression costs.