State, local officials seek disaster funds

Donley County Judge John Howard and Texas Governor Greg Abbott have initiated efforts to access federal disaster funds for local and area first responders following last week’s 8 Ball Fire that consumed more than 13,500 acres between Goodnight and Howardwick.

Judge Howard declared a state of disaster under the county emergency management plan on Wednesday, February 18, and Gov. Abbott announced on Thursday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a request from the State of Texas for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG).

Howard along with local fire chiefs and other first responder personnel will meet February 25 to start working through how to apply for relief.

“Texas continues to work around the clock to provide all necessary resources to those affected by the 8 Ball Fire,” said Governor Abbott.

“With this FEMA grant, our brave wildfire response teams will be further equipped to manage and contain fires in the Panhandle. I thank the Trump Administration and FEMA for swiftly approving this funding and thank our heroic emergency personnel for their efforts to protect their fellow Texans.”

The approval of a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) makes the State of Texas eligible for 75 percent reimbursement from the federal government for costs associated with fighting the wildfire. These grants are available to states and local jurisdictions for the mitigation, management, and control of fires that threaten such destruction as would constitute a major disaster.

“This will allow our fire departments and other local and area agencies to apply for 75 percent reimbursement for expenses related to the fire,” Howard said. “Expenses for medicine for injured livestock might also be covered.”

The judge said it will take a while to handle all the paperwork for the emergency funds, noting that preparation for an event like this and for disaster relief starts years ahead of time with a proper emergency management plan, which the county has.

The Texas State Emergency Operations Center remains activated at Level II (Escalated Response) and state emergency response resources remain deployed by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) at the Governor’s direction to support local wildfire response efforts across the state.
Texans can find wildfire resources including safety tips, a current fire map, and damage reporting information, in the TDEM Disaster Portal at disaster.texas.gov.

Gov. Abbott continues to take action to help protect Texans from the effects of wildfires, including: Increasing the readiness level of the Texas State Emergency Operations Center ahead of critical fire weather conditions, and Activating additional state wildfire response resources ahead of critical fire danger.