King Wildfire Doubles Overnight; Gov. Brown Declares Emergency

A firefighter monitors a backfire as he battles the King Fire on Sept. 17, 2014 in Fresh Pond, Calif. The King fire was threatening over 1,600 homes in the forested area about an hour east of Sacramento and has consumed over 18,544 acres. The out of control fire was 5 percent contained. (Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

by: Los Angeles Times

Posted: Sep 17, 2014 / 08:46 PM PDT

Updated: Sep 18, 2014 / 09:51 AM PDT

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California Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for two Northern California counties overwhelmed by wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and hundreds of homes.

The emergency declarations cover El Dorado and Siskiyou counties, which have been ravaged by the King and Boles fires, respectively.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday granted a request for aid that can cover up to 75% of the state’s costs to fight the King fire; federal aid already had been approved for the Boles fire, as well as the Courtney fire in Madera County.

Combined, the three fires have burned nearly 100,000 acres.

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