Federal Emergency Management Agency Authorizes The Use Of Federal Funds To Fight Colorado’s Marshall Fire

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds, in order to help with firefighting costs for the Marshall Fire burning, in Boulder County, Colorado, USA.

Fighting Marshall Fire

FEMA Acting Regional Administrator, Tammy Littrell approved the state’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG), after receiving the request and determining that the fire threatened such a level of destruction that it would constitute a major disaster.

At the time of the request, the Marshall Fire had destroyed more than 100 homes and was threatening more than 5,000 homes, which were under an evacuation order. The fire had already burned more than 1,000 acres, when the request was made.

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) authorization

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state’s eligible firefighting costs

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.

While the FMAG does not provide assistance to individual home or business owners, and does not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire, additional federal assistance may be available upon request, after damage assessments.  

FEMA provided via the President’s Disaster Relief Fund

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.

With the FMAG authorization, additional funding is made available 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.