Federal Funds Authorized To Help Oregon Fight The Monument Complex Fire
Release Date: August 20, 2001
Release Number: HQ-01-088
Washington, DC -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized federal funds to help Oregon battle the uncontrolled Monument Complex Fire located in Grant County.
According to the agency, federal fire suppression aid requested by the state last weekend was approved after learning that the fire complex, consisting of 25 fires, posed a threat to 74 homes in the town of Monument. A forest service station, post office, school, community center and a number of outlying structures also were at risk from the fires, which had burned 21,000 acres of land at the time of the request.
FEMA fire suppression aid was previously authorized for the state last Wednesday for the Bridge Creek fire in Umatilla County.
Under the authorizations, FEMA will pay 70 percent of the state's eligible firefighting costs that are above $1,156,323. The figure, called a floor cost, is derived through a formula based on the state's five-year annual average cost for fighting fires.
Federal fire suppression aid is provided through the President's Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires when they threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible state firefighting costs covered by the aid can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; tools, materials and supplies; and mobilization and demobilization activities.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 22-Oct-2003 13:51:29