| Catastrophic canyon fires have spread across four miles in Boulder County |
Fire Management Assistance Grants are provided through the President's Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Four Mile Canyon Fire in Boulder County. The fire is burning on state and private land in the Gold Hill area.
FEMA approved Colorado's request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) at 4:20 p.m. MDT. At the time of the state's request, the fire had burned more than 2.500 acres and threatened more than 250 homes, forcing approximately 1,000 residents to evacuate. The fire is also threatening outbuildings, utilities and an area watershed.
"While we don't send engines or firefighters to battle these blazes, FEMA does help reimburse states for their firefighting costs," said FEMA Region VIII Regional Administrator Robin Finegan. "Whenever a wildfire threatens large numbers of homes and looks like it may become a major disaster, we can help cover costs so the state can do what it needs to do to fight the fire."
The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state's eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.
Fire Management Assistance Grants are provided through the President's Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; mobilization and demobilization activities; and tools, materials and supplies.