BOTHELL, Wash., October 17, 2022—The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Nakia Creek Fire burning in Clark and Skamania counties in Washington.
The state of Washington’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) was approved by FEMA Region 10 Administrator Willie G. Nunn on Sunday, October 16, 2022, at 10:21 p.m. PT. He determined that the Nakia Creek Fire threatened to cause such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. This is the third FMAG declared in 2022 to help fight Washington wildfires.
At the time of the state’s request, the wildfire threatened homes in and around the communities of Camas and Hokinson. The fire also threatened Larch Correctional Center, state timber, manufacturing facilities, agricultural facilities, electrical transmission and distribution lines, recreational facilities, and fuel pipelines in the area.
FMAGs are provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and are 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. This 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.
In addition to the firefighting funds authorized under this FMAG, another $1,048,736 will be available to Washington through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Post Fire for the mitigation of future wildfires and related hazards, such as flood after fire or erosion. Some eligible wildfire project types include defensible space measures, ignition-resistant construction, and hazardous fuels reduction.
The Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 authorizes FEMA to provide HMGP Post-Fire funds to eligible states and territories that receive Fire Management Assistance declarations and federally recognized tribes that have land burned within a designated area.
WATCH: #BNNUS Reports.
The Nakia Creek Fire was burning out of control near the Washington-Oregon border early this week, growing to about 2,000 acres and forcing thousands to evacuate. The blaze was fueled by unusually warm conditions in the Pacific Northwest. #NakiaCreekFire pic.twitter.com/GZqrHXoYv8
— Gurbaksh Singh Chahal (@gchahal) October 18, 2022
The situation is much better today around the #NakiaCreekFire than when Natasha Derthick snapped this picture yesterday https://t.co/IL69s46mMq pic.twitter.com/EcgsrN8Mgk
— Dan Tilkin (@DanTilkinKOIN6) October 17, 2022
Photos of the Nakia Creek Fire this evening from the Camas area as westerly winds kicked in and smoke slightly cleared… and wow what a large area got burned today vs the initial fire. estimated at 2,000 acres now. #nakiacreekfire #wawx #orwx pic.twitter.com/pnGRZuwnrb
— Michael Trofimov (@pnwmiketrof) October 17, 2022
Content Source: FEMA press release
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
