Federal Fire Suppression Funds Authorized For Minnesota
Release Date: October 23, 2000
Release Number: HQ-00-059a
Washington, D.C. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reported today that federal funds have been made available for Minnesota to help fight a group of wildfires burning in the counties of Aitkin, Anoka, Chisago, Kanabec and Pine.
According to the agency, the fire suppression assistance requested by the state was authorized late last Friday after it was reported that the 10,000-acre Carlos Edge Fire Complex had destroyed at least three homes and forced the evacuation of up to 1,000 people in a number of threatened communities.
Under the authorization, FEMA will pay 70 percent of the state's eligible firefighting costs that are above $309,000. 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 10:24:32