Public Assistance Approved for Colorado’s Major Disaster Declaration

Federal assistance announced today will support community recovery from the Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain Fires

DENVER - Today, Governor Jared Polis announced that President Donald Trump approved Public Assistance (PA) for Colorado's Major Disaster Declaration (MDD) request to support communities recovering from the Aspen Acres Fire in Pueblo, Custer, and Dolores Counties, and Gold Mountain Fire in Ouray County and some of the subsequent flooding and debris flows.

"Coloradans hit by the Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain Fires have shown incredible strength, but recovering from big disasters requires federal help. Today's approval of Public Assistance will help our communities clear debris and repair damage to public infrastructure. Removing debris from homes and buildings destroyed is the most important step to begin rebuilding and now that work can occur promptly and at no cost to homeowners just as it did after the Marshall Fire. I thank the President for approving Colorado's Public Assistance request to provide help for our communities to recover and rebuild, and FEMA for working with the state as we submitted our application. We appreciate the ongoing consideration of Colorado's Individual Assistance request, and hope that will also be approved soon. I also thank our entire bipartisan congressional delegation, local leaders, elected officials, first responders, utility providers, business owners, nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and disaster survivors who supported this request. Colorado made a strong bipartisan case for this declaration, and I am deeply appreciative of everyone who has worked together on behalf of these affected communities to help Coloradans in our time of need," said Governor Polis.

With the PA portion of Colorado's MDD request now approved, the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) will work closely with FEMA, local governments, and affected communities to implement PA for impacted communities.

Colorado's Individual Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Funding requests are still under review.

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