FEMA Authorizes Federal Funds to Help Battle Kentucky Wildfires

ATLANTA, Ga.–The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized federal funds to reimburse costs to Kentucky to fight the Eagles Nest Fire in Breathitt County.

This authorization makes FEMA grant funding available to reimburse 75 percent of the eligible firefighting costs for managing, mitigating and controlling the fire. Eligible costs can include labor, equipment and supplies used for fighting the fire and costs for emergency work such as evacuations and sheltering, police barricading and traffic control.

“FEMA has approved these funds to make sure that Kentucky has the resources to fight this fire and protect lives, structures and property,” said FEMA Regional Administrator Gracia Szczech. “These federal dollars will help commonwealth responders continue the hard work to combat the fire.”

The state requested a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG), and it was granted shortly afterwards, on November 8, 2016, at 11:32 PM EST. The fire started on November 2, 2016, and had burned in excess of 2,000 acres of commonwealth and private land. Across the commonwealth, fires had burned more than 24,000 acres. At the time of the request, the fire was threatening 1,100 homes in and around the City of Jackson, population 2,170.  

Federal fire management assistance is provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to fight fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible state firefighting costs covered by the aid must first meet a minimum threshold for costs before assistance is provided.

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