FEMA Authorizes Funds To Help Fight Ford Road Fire In Montana
Release Date: August 20, 2007
Release Number: R8-07-028
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DENVER, Colo. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Ford Road Fire burning near Billings, Mont. This is the third Montana wildfire in the last month to qualify for FEMA firefighting funds.
FEMA approved Montana's request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) for the Ford Road Fire Sunday evening at 9:11 p.m. MDT, within an hour after receiving the state's request. At the time of the request the fire was burning uncontained and more than 1,500 residents were under a mandatory evacuation order. According to the state's request, more than 300 homes were threatened by the path of the fire.
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.
Fire Management Assistance Grants are provided through the President's Disaster Relief Fund and 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. These grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.
FEMA authorized the use of federal funds for the Jocko Lakes Fire on August 4 and for the Black Cat Fire on August 16.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Monday, 20-Aug-2007 11:06:09