FEMA Authorizes Funds to Help Fight Wyoming’s Arapahoe Fire 

Release Date: June 29, 2012
Release Number: R8-12-021

» 2012 Region VIII News Releases

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 Wyoming’s Arapahoe Fire in Albany County.

FEMA Regional Administrator Robin Finegan approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) upon receiving the state’s request. At the time of the request, the fire was threatening approximately 125 primary residences west of Wheatland, population 3,627. The fire was also threatening communication towers, a high voltage transmission line, secondary cabins, the North Laramie watershed and Wheatland Reservoir #2. Mandatory evacuations are in place for approximately 92 people.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state’s eligible firefighting costs for managing, mitigating and controlling the fire. 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.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders and 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.

Last Modified: Monday, 02-Jul-2012 07:17:35