FEMA Authorizes Funds to Fight Colorado’s Gold Mountain Fire

DENVER - This evening, FEMA authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Gold Mountain Fire burning in Ouray County, near the towns of Ouray and Ridgway, Colorado.

FEMA Region 8 approved the state's request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) after receiving the request this evening and determining that the fire threatened such destruction that it would constitute a major disaster.

At the time of the request, the Gold Mountain Fire had burned more than 8200 acres and was threatening 266 homes. More than 400 people were under an evacuation order. The fire is 0% contained and there are seven other active large fires burning in the state.

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. These grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.

Fire Management Assistance Grants are provided through the President's Disaster Relief Fund and are made available through 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.

For more information on FMAGs, visit https://www.fema.gov/fire-management-assistance-grants-program-details.