By Mary O’KEEFE

Approval was given on Monday morning, March 8, for the Station Fire area to be given a federal disaster designation. Congressman David Dreier was instrumental in securing the designation, which he said will assist the area in recouping costs associated with the fire and subsequent floods.
“This will basically help in the reimbursement to the city and the county for [costs incurred] for the last several weeks,”  Dreier said. Many overtime hours have been logged by personnel from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, L.A. County Fire Department and public works.
In what he said was a “very strong conversation,” Dreier reported on a meeting last Thursday with FEMA [administrators] that impacted the decision.
Dreier has toured Crescenta Valley and La Cañada to first see the devastation from the fire and later witnessed the damage due to the flood and mudflow.  He has been working on the designation to help the county and city.
Dreier met with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger over the weekend about the designation request.
“We are meeting with the California Emergency Agency now,” he added.