California faces costly cleanup after wildfires

Reporting from Sacramento — California is reaching deeper into its pocket to cover the costs of this year’s devastating wildfires.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s Department of Finance said Friday that it would pull $83 million more from a reserve fund to pay for debris removal. The Valley and Butte fires, which tore through Northern California in September, burned more than 140,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of homes.

The withdrawal announced on Friday comes after $55 million in unanticipated costs from earlier this year.

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Administration officials expect more money will be needed, saying “the magnitude and complexity of these cleanup activities is unprecedented.”

They’re expecting to ask the Legislature for an additional $105 million in January, when lawmakers return to the Capitol after their recess.

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Follow @chrismegerian for more updates from Sacramento.

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