Governor Gavin Newsom has requested additional federal aid to help with the wildfires currently raging in Southern California, which have burned more than 220,000 acres.

He recently requested assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency over the weekend for the Line Fire, which by then had burned about 7,000 acres of brush in the San Bernardino Mountains. As the days passed, the fire exploded in size, burning to nearly 33,000 acres, putting thousands of homes at risk of destruction.

With two more devastating wildfires ravaging the state’s forests, Fire at airport currently burning in both Orange and Riverside County and the Bridge fire that grew to more than 34,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest — Governor Newsom on Tuesday reapplied for a Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA.

If the proposal is accepted, the funding will be used to cover the total cost of firefighting and to “mitigate, manage and control active wildfires in California.”

On Monday, FEMA officials accepted Newsom’s request for assistance with the Line Fire.

To address the emergency, the governor also activated the National Guard on Monday, deploying thousands of people to help fight the wildfires and protect threatened communities.

“We are working around the clock to protect communities across the state of California. Our response includes nearly 6,000 troops on the ground, hundreds of engines and water tankers, and the world’s largest aerial firefighting force,” Newsom said in a statement. “Thank you to our brave firefighters, soldiers, and first responders for working around the clock to keep our communities safe.”

A total of more than 5,700 soldiers were deployed, as well as 51 helicopters, nine fixed-wing aircraft, 520 fire engines, 75 bulldozers and 141 water tankers.

Wildfires in California have burned nearly a million acres of land so far in 2024.