FEMADR-739-CAMajor disasterDeclared July 18, 1985
DR-739-CA: California Grass, Wildlands, & Forest Fires
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for California (DR-739-CA) on July 18, 1985 for the incident of June 26, 1985 to July 19, 1985; it covers 6 designated areas.
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-739-CA (also written FEMA-739-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- California
- Incident
- Fire: Grass, Wildlands, & Forest Fires
- Incident period
- June 26, 1985 to July 19, 1985
- Declared
- July 18, 1985
- Programs declared
- Individual Assistance (the older program, flagged until 2008), Public Assistance
- FEMA region
- 9
- Place in the year
- the only major disaster declaration for California in 1985
- Status
- closed out on October 24, 1994
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). Data as of September 29, 2026.
Which areas are covered, and for what?
| Designated area | Individuals and Households | Individual Assistance (older program) | Public Assistance | Hazard Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| San Diego (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| San Luis Obispo (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Santa Clara (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Santa Cruz (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Ventura (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
An area can be added to a declaration after the first day, or have a program added: this table is FEMA's current list.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). Data as of September 29, 2026.
How much has FEMA approved?
FEMA has published no assistance totals for this declaration.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2); FEMA, OpenFEMA FEMA Web Disaster Summaries (v1). Data as of September 29, 2026.
FEMA's page for this declaration
FEMA's own page for this declaration is fema.gov/disaster/739. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application.