Yesterday evening, House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse, along with Senator Michael Bennet, Senator John Hickenlooper, and Representative Brittany Pettersen, requested that FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell provide additional federal assistance for the State of Colorado to respond to fires burning across the Front Range, including the Alexander Mountain Fire burning in Larimer County and the Stone Canyon Fire burning in Boulder County. After receiving requests Wednesday, FEMA authorized a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG), making funding available to pay 75 percent of the state’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating, and controlling designated fires through the reimbursable program. As new fires continue to develop, the lawmakers are urging FEMA to consider increasing the federal cost share to cover up to 100-percent of the costs covered under the FMAG declarations.
“We appreciate the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) quick response in granting the State of Colorado’s Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG) request for the suppression costs of the Alexander Mountain and Stone Canyon Fires. We write to request you provide additional federal resources at your disposal as the fires continue to progress. We also request that FEMA consider increasing the federal cost share to cover up to 100 percent of the costs covered under the current FMAG declarations as well as future FMAG declarations,” the lawmakers wrote. “Weather conditions across Colorado are expected to continue to fuel these fires, driven by high winds and extreme temperatures, which could put thousands more Coloradans at risk. We urge FEMA to utilize all available resources at your disposal in response to these disasters, and appreciate your ongoing partnership in these efforts.”
Read the full letter to FEMA Administrator Criswell HERE and below.
Major wildfires sparked in late July and continue to burn across thousands of acres near Boulder, Loveland, Lyons and in Jefferson County. Assistant Leader Neguse, who serves as Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, is also working with state and federal agencies to secure additional boots on the ground, calling on the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) to send hand crews that are available as soon as possible, in addition to any available engines, incident management teams, and aviation support.
August 1, 2024
The Honorable Deanne Criswell Administrator
Federal Emergency Management Agency 500 C Street SW
Washington, D.C. 20024
Dear Administrator Criswell,
We write to request your strong support for the State of Colorado as it continues to battle several ongoing wildfires across the state that threaten homes and communities. We appreciate the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) quick response in granting the State of Colorado’s Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG) request for the suppression costs of the Alexander Mountain and Stone Canyon Fires. We write to request you provide additional federal resources at your disposal as the fires continue to progress. We also request that FEMA consider increasing the federal cost share to cover up to 100 percent of the costs covered under the current FMAG declarations as well as future FMAG declarations.
Due to extreme heat and drought, we understand that federal, state, and local firefighting assets are stretched thin, as wildfires rage across the western United States, including in Colorado. In the span of 48 hours, several new wildfires have started across the State–including the Alexander Mountain Fire in Larimer County and the Stone Canyon and Lakeshore Fires in Boulder County. These fires have collectively prompted thousands of individuals and families to evacuate their homes, burned at least five structures, and sadly claimed the life of one member of our community.
The Alexander Mountain Fire has burned more than 7,600 acres and has prompted mandatory evacuations for more than 4,000 people–threatening more than 2,000 homes and other structures. The Stone Canyon Fire has burned more than 1,500 acres and at least five structures.
Governor Jared Polis has issued a verbal declaration of a disaster emergency for the Stone Canyon, Alexander Mountain, and Currant Creek Fires to activate state resources. Boulder and Larimer Counties have acted swiftly to activate their local resources, in addition to those provided by the State of Colorado and neighboring states and counties. Weather conditions across Colorado are expected to continue to fuel these fires, driven by high winds and extreme temperatures, which could put thousands more Coloradans at risk.
We urge FEMA to utilize all available resources at your disposal in response to these disasters, and appreciate your ongoing partnership in these efforts. Thank you for your support in this urgent matter.
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Publish date : 2024-08-09 03:24:00
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