Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security News Release
For immediate release, August 15, 2015
Contact: Elizabeth Duncan (208) 258-6595 or (208) 866-5969
eduncan@bhs.idaho.gov

Federal Assistance approved for Clearwater County Municipal Fire

 

(Boise) With multiple wildfires across the state, Federal assistance is being made available for another Idaho County. The State of Idaho submitted a request for a fire management assistance declaration for the Municipal Fire burning near the city of Orofino in Clearwater County. At the time of the request, the fire covered 800 acres and had burned at least two homes and multiple outbuildings. More than four-hundred homes are at risk and evacuations are in place. Threatened infrastructure includes the Dworshak Dam (owned and operated by the US Army Corp of Engineers USACE). Natural and cultural resources are also threatened.

The Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) authorization makes Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding available to pay 75% of eligible firefighting costs. This includes managing, mitigating, and controlling designated fires. These grants do not provide assistance to individual homeowners or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire. The grants only provide reimbursement for firefighting and lifesaving efforts.

Friday FEMA also authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Clearwater Complex Lawyer Branch Fire burning in Lewis and Idaho Counties.

The Idaho Emergency Operations Center (IDEOC) located at the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security is monitoring the wildfires across the state and coordinating assistance to the impacted jurisdictions.

Up-to-date information on active fires in Idaho can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/13/# and at https://idahofireinfo.blogspot.com/

 

Note to reporters: The Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security is the State of Idaho’s emergency management agency. Please note that IBHS is an Idaho-specific agency, and it is not the same thing as the federal Department of Homeland Security. Within the State of Idaho organizational chart, IBHS is aligned under the State of Idaho Military Division.