Obama signs disaster declaration for California wildfire: White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday signed a disaster declaration to make federal aid available to Northern California residents impacted by a major wildfire, the White House said. The assistance to people in Lake County affected by the so-called Valley Fire can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, the White House said in a statement. Firefighters have largely contained the Valley Fire, which ignited on Sept. 12 in the hills north of Napa County's wine-producing region and has blackened nearly 76,000 acres (31,000 hectares) and destroyed more than 800 homes. (Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Sandra Maler)