West Virginia Wildfires Designated For FEMA Assistance

Release Date: November 20, 2001 Release Number: HQ-01-166

» 2001 Region III News Releases

Washington, DC - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized assistance to help West Virginia fight two multiple wildfires that pose a threat to populated areas.

The state's requests for federal fire management assistance were approved after it was reported late last week that the Southeast and the Trough and Smoke Hole Fire Complexes had consumed over 10,000 acres and were endangering more than 2,500 homes in a 13-county area.

The affected counties include Boone, Cobell, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Raleigh, Wayne and Wyoming (Southeast Fire Complex), and Grant and Hardy (Trough and Smoke Hole Fire Complex).

Under the authorization, FEMA will 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 when they threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible state firefighting 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.