Federal funds authorized to help fight Moccasin Hill Fire

Seattle, WA – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Moccasin Hill Fire, burning in Klamath County, Oregon.

FEMA Region X Regional Administrator, Kenneth D. Murphy determined that the Moccasin Hill Fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster.  Murphy approved the state’s request for federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) on July 14, 2014 at 11:16 a.m. PDT.

On July 13, 2014, the State of Oregon submitted a request for a fire management assistance declaration for the Moccasin Hill Fire burning in Klamath County.  At the time of the request, the fire had burned six homes and was threatening 125 homes in and around the subdivision of Moccasin Hill north of the Town of Sprague River. Approximately 100 people had evacuated the area.  The fire started on July 13, 2014, and has burned approximately 2,900 acres of private land. Firefighting resources on scene include: approximately 200 personnel, five air platforms, five helicopters, 10 engines, water tenders and a Type 2 Incident Management Team. There are two other large fires burning uncontrolled within the State.  The Federal Principal Advisor confirmed the threat to homes. The fire is at approximately zero percent containment.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of Oregon eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants provide reimbursement for firefighting and life-saving efforts. They do not provide assistance to individuals, homeowners 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.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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