FEMA provides funds to help fight Graham Fire
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday it has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Graham Fire in Jefferson County.
FEMA Region 10 Administrator Mike O’Hare determined that the fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. He approved the state of Oregon’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) at 9:02 p.m. PDT on Thursday. This is the first FMAG declaration for FEMA Region 10 in the 2018 fire season.
The fire started on Thursday and had burned in excess of 750 acres of state and private land. At the time of the request, the fire was threatening approximately 1,000 homes in and around the communities of Three Rivers, Grandview, Forest Park, Geneva and Air Park, with a total population greater than 3,500. The fire was zero percent contained.
Approximately 380 of the threatened homes are primary residences and 620 are secondary homes. The fire was also threatening campgrounds, commercial buildings, small businesses, a nearby airport, county highways and roads, and power lines in the area. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations were issued for approximately 3,000 people.
FMAGs 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.
In addition to reimbursement funding for fighting the Graham Fire, under the FMAG declaration the state of Oregon will be eligible for an additional $566,667 in assistance through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 authorized FEMA to provide HMGP Post-Fire funds to eligible states and territories that receive Fire Management Assistance declarations and federally recognized tribes that have land burned within a declared area.
FEMA encourages the HMGP Post-Fire funds be used for the mitigation of wildfire and related hazards, such as flood or erosion. However, HMGP is available for risk reduction of any hazard.
FEMA’s Mission: Helping people before, during and after disasters
