DENVER – This afternoon, FEMA authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Oak Fire burning in Archuleta County, Colorado near Pagosa Springs.
FEMA Region 8 approved the state’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) after receiving the request this afternoon and determining that the fire threatened such destruction that it would constitute a major disaster.
At the time of the request, the Oak Fire was threatening more than 5,100 buildings and 2,000 homes. The fire started on August 10 and has burned more than 150 acres.
“The Oak Fire is the third Fire Management Assistance Grant FEMA has approved in Colorado in the last several days. FEMA stands by to offer continued support to the State of Colorado to ensure federal resources are available for firefighting efforts,” said FEMA Region 8 Acting Administrator Katherine Fox.
The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.
Fire Management Assistance Grants are provided through the President's Disaster Relief Fund and are made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; mobilization and demobilization activities; and tools, materials and supplies.
For more information on FMAGs, visit https://www.fema.gov/fire-management-assistance-grants-program-details.