FEMA Backs Funds to Help Ariz. with Hulet Fire

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help Arizona fight the Hulet fire burning in Mohave Valley, Arizona.

Michael Brown, under secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, said the state’s request for federal fire management assistance was approved after it was confirmed that the fire had already consumed three hundred acres. One hundred homes have been evacuated; two hundred fifty homes are immediately threatened. Fire under a major power line has caused the shutdown of the power lines for safety reasons. The fire started June 11, 2005, 6:10 p.m. EDT.

“This declaration is the first step towards enabling the state and local governments to apply for financial help,” said Brown. “We are committed to getting our firefighters the funds they need to extinguish dangerous fires that threaten lives and property.”

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.

Federal fire management assistance is 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 state firefighting costs covered by the aid must first meet a minimum threshold for costs before assistance is provided.

Eligible costs covered by the aid can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; tools, materials and supplies; and mobilization and demobilization activities.