California signs $2.5 billion emergency package to speed Los Angeles-area cleanup and rebuilding

Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders on the Los Angeles area stage signed two bills providing $2,500,000,000 in immediate funding to accelerate cleanup, debris removal, inspections and permitting after recent wildfires that displaced thousands of residents.

Assembly Speaker Rivas, speaking at a Pasadena news conference, described the package as “urgent action. $2,500,000,000 to help the people of LA immediately.” Rivas said the appropriation was passed with strong bipartisan support and called on the federal government to move quickly to reimburse the state.

The funding is intended to be flexible, Gov. Gavin Newsom said, allowing the state and local governments to preposition resources and address urgent operational needs such as debris removal, traffic management and logistical support. “This 2,500,000,000 is a clear commitment that we’ve got your back, LA,” Newsom said, adding that the state expects federal reimbursement and anticipates returning to the legislature for additional supplemental relief.

Newsom described operational steps tied to the appropriation: greater coordination with federal agencies including FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for debris removal, and use of the funds to speed inspections and permitting so residents and businesses can rebuild. He said the state will waive permits where appropriate and preposition equipment and aircraft for suppression and recovery work.

The news conference included local remarks about the human impact of the fires. Elizabeth Blanco, superintendent of Pasadena Unified School District, said, “Today is day 16 since the devastating Eaton fire began. And today, we were able to welcome back 34100 students in the first phase of our reopening,” and added that more than 10,000 students were in evacuation zones and roughly 1,400 district employees had been displaced.

Newsom used the briefing to push back on claims he said had been circulated about water deliveries, saying the State Water Project does not provide an on-demand supply for firefighting and that the claim that moving water from Northern California would have suppressed these fires was incorrect. “The state water project has nothing to do with the firefighters fire fires here. Nothing. Period. Full stop,” he said.

The governor also outlined ongoing investments in wildfire prevention and response: he said the state treated over 700,000 acres in 2023, has dramatically expanded prescribed burning, increased funding for vegetation and forest management, purchased aircraft, and is adding 2,000 firefighters and new firefighting helicopters. He said his administration has invested in technology—satellite, lidar and 3-D modeling—and increased CAL FIRE’s budget and pre‑positioning capacity (including 120 engines and 105 specialty teams used in recent operations).

Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire, who spoke after Assembly leadership, thanked first responders and lawmakers who worked across party lines to pass the package and urged cooperation from federal officials. Several speakers referenced earlier catastrophic fires such as the Camp Fire and Paradise, and said rapid funding and local coordination were needed to prevent long-term displacement and to preserve generational community assets.

Newsom said he expects coordination with the incoming presidential visit and White House staff, and emphasized working “with an open hand” to secure additional federal support. He also said the administration is pursuing larger infrastructure work, such as the Delta Conveyance Project discussed during the briefing, and philanthropic efforts to supplement recovery work.

Officials said additional legislative action is likely in the coming weeks to provide further supplements; Newsom said the state expects to seek federal reimbursement for at least part of the $2.5 billion. Local officials and speakers at the event stressed that the funding is an initial down payment and that further planning, permitting and culturally competent outreach will be necessary to keep impacted communities from being permanently displaced.