Oregon gets $7.8 million FEMA grant for 2015 SW Oregon fire

(Update: ODF corrects initial acreage, crew count)

The Oregon Department of Forestry will receive a $7.8 million federal grant for costs associated with the 2015 Stouts Creek Fire, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Fri day .

The fire broke out on July 30 , 2015 in Douglas County in southwest Oregon, ggrowing to more than 15,000 acres within 48 hours, eventually spreading to more than 26,452 acres at its peak. More than 280 homes were threatened by the human-caused fire, prompting evacuations.

For more than four weeks, 1,900 personnel worked to contain the fire. Wildfire pilots dealt with challenging flying conditions caused by heavy smoke as they worked to suppress the fire from above, while a coalition of ODF, forest landowner and contract firefighters faced steep terrain.

“Two years ago, Oregon faced drought and an extremely severe wildfire season,” said Doug Grafe, chief of ODF’s Fire Protection Division. “FEMA’s FMAG (Fire Management Assistance Grant) for the Stouts Creek Fire helps provide us with the tools and resources that we needed to accomplish our firefighting mission – putting out fires as quickly as possible, at the smallest size possible.”

The FMAG award of $ 7,858,667.49 provides a 75 percent federal share of the $ 10,478,223.32 costs for aviation fire suppression resources, equipment, supplies and travel to contain the fire and prevent the loss of life and property.

The grant program is intended to prevent wildfires from escalating to a level that would constitute a major disaster declaration.

“This partnership supports the wildland firefighters and provides funds to help them get the resources they need to fight fires like the one at Stouts Creek,” said Acting FEMA Region 10 Administrator Sharon Loper.

More information about FEMA’s FMAG program, visit www.fema.gov/fire-management-assistance-grants-program-details .