FEMA Authorizes Assistance For Alabama Wildfires
Release Date: November 21, 2001
Release Number: HQ-01-168
Washington, DC - Federal assistance has been made available by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help Alabama fight an outbreak of wildfires burning in the counties of Cherokee, Etowah and Jackson.
FEMA Director Joe M. Allbaugh approved the state's request for federal fire management assistance late yesterday after it was reported that the uncontrolled Northeast Alabama Fire Complex posed a threat to more than 515 homes and several towns in the three-county area. The fire, which started November 8, had burned more than 3,200 acres at the time of the request.
Under the authorization, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the state's eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires.
Federal fire management assistance 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 09:16:23