SE Redmond wildfires burned 90 acres, now fully contained; FEMA to help with firefighting costs
Fire danger levels raised to 'extreme' on region's public lands
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Task-force firefighters were still busy putting out hot spots Wednesday on two blazes that burned about 90 acres Tuesday in southeast Redmond, forcing evacuations, but officials said Fires 419 and 422 were 100% contained. Meanwhile, federal officials authorized use of federal funds to help pay for firefighting costs.
Level 2 (Be Set) evacuation alerts were still in effect Wednesday, due to potential hot spots and more hot, windy weather in the forecast. Officials said crews will stay on site, doing mop-up and watching for any changes.
Fortunately, though structures were threatened, none were damaged by the blazes, which also closed the Redmond Airport and Highway 126 for hours. City officials they recommended people sign up for (or update) the Deschutes County Alert system, to receive warnings of any emergency activities.
And they added a “Thank you for all the amazing crews who responded so quickly!”
Meanwhile, the Central Oregon Fire Management Service has moved all of the region's public lands to "extreme" fire danger, including the Deschutes and Ochoco national Forests, the Crooked River National Grassland and Prineville District BLM lands. Public use restrictions are in place, with the Industrial Fire Precaution Level at 2.
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News release from FEMA:
FEMA Authorizes Funds to Fight 0419 Fire in Oregon
BOTHELL, Wash. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Wednesday it has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the 0419 Fire that broke out burning in Deschutes County, Oregon, near the City of Redmond.
FEMA Region 10 Acting Regional Administrator Vincent Maykovich determined that the fire threatened to cause such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. He approved the State of Oregon’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) on Tues. June 29, 2021, at 11 p.m. PT. This is the first FMAG declared in 2021 to help fight Oregon wildfires.
At the time of the State’s request, the fire was threatening homes in and around the city of Redmond. The fire also threatened the Redmond Municipal Airport, Central Oregon Community College, as well as local businesses, railroads, and transmission lines in the area. The State of Oregon continues to experience extreme heat conditions and has burn bans and red flag warnings in place.
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.
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.
With this FMAG authorization, additional funds will be available to Oregon through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Post Fire for the mitigation of wildfire and related hazards, such as flood after fire or erosion. Some eligible wildfire project types include defensible space measures, ignition-resistant construction, and hazardous fuels reduction. The Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 authorizes 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 designated area.
