Federal Funds Authorized To Help Fight Wyoming Wildfire
Release Date: August 1, 2000
Release Number: HQ-00-034a
Washington, D.C. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help Wyoming fight the uncontrolled Dead Horse fire located in Natrona County.
According to the agency, the state's request for federal fire suppression aid was approved last night after it was reported that the blaze had forced the evacuation of more than two dozen homes in the Goose Egg Subdivision southwest of Casper and posed a potential threat to another 800 homes in the Casper Mountain area. The fire, which broke out last Saturday, had burned 3,000 acres of land at the time of the request.
Under the authorization, FEMA will pay 70 percent of the state's eligible firefighting costs that are above $51,367. 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: Monday, 17-Nov-2003 11:12:39