In order to make way for federal assistance for home repairs, temporary housing, and other programs to help people affected by the Valley Fire, President Barack Obama declared yesterday that the circumstances in California's Lake County constitute a major disaster. As whitehouse.gov lays it out, that assistance can also take the form of low-cost loans to cover uninsured property.

Meanwhile, as NBC Bay Area and others report, it's also being classified as the third most destructive blaze in California History by Cal Fire.

The Los Angeles Times reports that California Governor Jerry Brown requested earlier this week that the President issue just such a declaration. “Four years of extreme drought conditions have parched our landscapes and created millions of dead trees that have increased California’s vulnerability to these types of fires,” Brown reportedly wrote in his request.

KRON4 reported yesterday that the conflagration, which has burned more than 76,000 acres and taken with it 1,910 structures, was about 80 percent contained. The fire has killed at least three people and perhaps more. The fire is now thought to have originated in a small shed in in the town of Cobb.

Individuals can register with FEMA online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or apply via smartphone at m.fema.gov. Registration also is available by phone at 1-800-621-3362, and at 1-800-462-7585 for those with hearing loss or a speech disability. Those who use 711 or Video Relay Service should call 1-800-621-3362.

Related: Start Of Valley Fire Appears To Be In Small Shed In Town Of Cobb