California governor requests presidential major disaster declarations

California governor Jerry Brown has requested presidential disaster declarations for the state following the Valley Fire and Butte Fire, which have claimed the lives of at least three people, destroyed thousands of homes and structures, and scorched more than 145,000 acres.

A Presidential Major Disaster Declaration triggers the release of federal funds to support fire victims and supplement ongoing state and local disaster recovery efforts, noted a press release posted on Brown’s website on Monday. The request was made by Brown in letters to United States President Barack Obama.

According to the release, the Butte Fire has burned more than 70,760 acres and is already considered the 12th most destructive wildfire in California history. The state has already verified the destruction of 475 homes and 343 non-residential properties. More than 12,000 residents were ordered to evacuate and nearly 100 survivors remain in three shelters. The Butte Fire has claimed two lives and several residents are missing. Since the fire is still burning and given the remoteness of the area, the number of fatalities could grow, Brown warned in the release.

As of Monday, the fire was only 74% contained.

Related: Fatal California wildfires destroy 1,000 structures

The Valley Fire has burned over 75,111 acres (including 40,000 acres in less than 12 hours) and is already considered the fourth most destructive wildfire in California history. The state has already verified the destruction of 1,238 homes. More than 19,300 residents were ordered to evacuate and several hundred survivors remain in eight shelters. The fire has taken three lives and seriously injured four firefighters. Several residents remain missing and, like the Butte Fire, emergency responders anticipate the number of fatalities could grow.

“Given this fire’s rate of spread, size and intensity, scientists consider it to be a “megafire,” which behaves differently than typical wildfires,” Brown wrote in the letter.

Brown declared a state of emergency as a result of the Butte Fire on Sept. 11and on Sept. 13 for the Valley Fire. Collectively, approximately 9,500 firefighters were deployed to fight the fires, including members of the California National Guard. In addition, more than 100 law enforcement agencies and more than a dozen emergency managers from neighbouring counties have been deployed to assist with the response.

Nearly a dozen volunteer firefighters have lost their homes to the #ButteFire http://t.co/VZKzFoXIKJ pic.twitter.com/jkyZJIOKec

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) September 22, 2015