California’s firefighting agency is running out of money in the midst of a disastrous and deadly fire season and needs another $234 million to make it through the middle of next year, officials said Thursday.
Ken Pimlott, director of the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said in a letter to legislators that the agency is down to its last $11 million after spending $432 million in July and August alone. The budget year doesn’t end until June 30, 2019.
The request means the state will probably dip into budget reserves for the eighth time in the past 10 years to cover the cost of putting out wildfires. This is the earliest Cal Fire has ever had to ask the state for more money.