WASHINGTON, D.C. - 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 Rice Ridge, Alice Creek, West Fork, Highway 200 Complex and Moose Creek Fires.
FEMA Acting Regional Administrator Nancy J. Dragani approved the state’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) after receiving the state’s requests on Saturday, Sept. 9.
On Saturday, the Rice Ridge fire was threatening 1,020 homes in and around Seeley Lake. The fire is also threatening buildings, infrastructure, utilities, equipment, cell towers and power substations in the area. Evacuations are in place for approximately 2,010 people. The fire started July 24. As of Tuesday, Sept. 12, it has burned 139,502 acres and is 33 percent contained.
The Alice Creek Fire was threatening 90 businesses and residences in and around Augusta, Mont. on Saturday. The fire is also threatening buildings, infrastructure including critical national defense infrastructure, utilities, equipment and the Blackfoot River watershed in the area. The fire started on July 22. As of Tuesday, Sept. 12, it has burned has burned in excess of 30,000 acres of State and private land. The fire is zero percent contained.
On Saturday, the West Fork Fire was threatening 747 homes in and around Libby, Mont. The fire is also threatening buildings, businesses, transmission lines, cell towers, and three watersheds in the area. The fire started on Aug. 30. It has burned more than 8,700 acres of Federal, State and private land and is zero percent contained.
The Highway 200 Complex encompasses fires: Sheep Gap, Cub Creek, Readers, Deep Creek, and Miller Creek. As of Saturday, the Complex was threatening 925 homes and businesses in and around Plains, Mont as of Saturday. The fire is also threatening buildings, power transmission lines, telephone transmission lines, cellular towers, Conoco Phillips Gas pipeline, buildings, equipment and the Clark Four River watershed in the area. The fire started on Aug. 30. It has burned more than 24,000 acres of state and private land and several fires have no containment.
The Moose Creek Fire was threatening 45 homes and businesses in the rural area of East Fisher River and McGinnis Meadows on Saturday. The fire is also threatening Flathead Electric transmission line, Frontier Communications telephone lines, two cell towers, a Lincoln County communication hub, multiple buildings and three state highway bridges on Pipe Creek State Highway 587 in the area. The fire started on Aug. 30. As of Tuesday, Sept. 12, it has burned more than 17,000 acres. It is zero percent contained.
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.
Reader Comments(0)