FEMA Funds Authorized For Commissary Ridge Fire
Release Date: August 31, 2002
Release Number: R8-02-12
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Denver, CO -- A wildfire near Kemmerer, Wyoming is the latest to qualify for federal fire management assistance funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
FEMA Director Joe M. Allbaugh approved the state's request to help with the costs of this blaze, which started Thursday from an unknown cause. As of Saturday night, the fire had burned about 300 acres and reportedly was threatening the Spring Canyon Ranch subdivision. About 50 people had been evacuated from that area.
FEMA's Fire Management Assistance Grants help provide resources for suppressing fires by paying 75 percent of eligible state and local costs associated with the firefight.
The grant provides federal fire management assistance to help manage and control fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. The assistance covers eligible state and local firefighting costs, including expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; tools, materials and supplies; and mobilization and demobilization activities.
This is the third such grant to the state of Wyoming for this summer's wildfires. Fire grants also were approved June 18 for the Hensel fire, about 20 miles northwest of Wheatland, and on July 1 for the Reese Mountain fire, which began about 30 miles west of Wheatland.
To date, 24 Fire Management Assistance Grants have been authorized to help fight wildfires through FEMA's six-state Rocky Mountain region, which includes Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 27-Aug-2003 16:05:19