Federal Government Rejects California Request for Wildfire Disaster Assistance: Spokesman

President Donald Trump (C) walks with Paradise Mayor Jody Jones (2nd R), Governor of California Jerry Brown (2nd L), Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Brock Long (R), and Lieutenant Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, as they view damage from wildfires in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 17, 2018. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said the federal government rejected his state’s request for a disaster declaration after six wildfires that ripped through the state earlier in the year.

“The request for a Major Presidential Disaster Declaration for early September fires has been denied by the federal administration,” Brian Ferguson, a spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, told CNN. He also confirmed the decision to the Los Angeles Times, adding that it’s not clear why the federal government denied the request.