Federal Funds Authorized for Another Washington State Wildfire Outbreak
Release Date: August 15, 2001
Release Number: HQ-01-081
Washington, DC -- Federal funds have been made available by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help Washington State fight another uncontrolled multiple wildfire outbreak located in Chelan County.
The state's latest request for federal fire suppression aid was approved last night after it was reported that the Icicle Complex Fire, consisting of 18 fires, posed a threat to 100 homes in the city of Leavenworth. The fires, which were started by dry lightning yesterday, had burned 400 acres of land and were forcing evacuations in the threatened area at the time of the request.
The authorization is the third granted for the state this week and the fourth since late July. The Brewster and Virginia Lakes Complex fires in Okanogan County were designated for assistance earlier yesterday, while the Union Valley fire in Chelan County was authorized for FEMA fire suppression aid on July 28.
Under the authorizations, FEMA is paying 70 percent of the state's eligible firefighting costs that are above $1,061,941. 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, 15-Oct-2003 10:09:48