Washington Governor Bob Ferguson sent a letter to President Donald Trump Monday, submitting a request for a major federal disaster declaration. Ferguson called the request a “milestone” in the effort to help communities and affected residents recover from the damage left behind by late July and early August wildfires in eastern Washington. The flames destroyed about 650 homes, most in Spokane County. They forced more than 60,000 people to evacuate and disrupted essential services. The complex was one of the worst of the state's fires in a year that has turned out to be one of Washington's worst wildfire seasons on record.
There are two different types of Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] Assistance funds that would apply if the Trump administration grants the state’s request: individual and public assistance.
Individual assistance would help survivors by providing temporary housing and home repair funds. If the state’s request is granted, that would apply to people living in Spokane, Benton, Stevens and Okanogan counties, as well as the Spokane Tribe of Indians.
Officials said this funding is essential because in most cases, insurance will not fully cover the costs that families are facing in recovery. This grant could provide more than $11 million in funding, according to the state’s estimates.
The second part of Ferguson’s request is for public assistance. This would provide money for state, tribal and local governments for emergency protective measures that were used to fight the fires. It could also pay for emergency repairs, like fixing roads and removing debris.
“We’re requesting assistance with debris removal, which we know is absolutely essential, and cost recovery for emergency protective measures, such as deploying hundreds of generators and conducting door-to-door evacuations,” he said.
That public assistance funding request would apply to Asotin, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, Okanogan, Spokane, Stevens, Whitman and Yakima counties, and could provide more than $117 million in funding, according to the state’s estimates.
Ferguson said he's unsure of the exact timeline for the request’s approval or denial, but he estimated seven weeks based on the state's funding request from December’s flooding in western Washington. If the federal government approves the state’s request, Washington Emergency Management Division director Robert Ezelle said the department is ready to move within weeks, if not days, with recovery operations.
How much funding could individuals receive?
“It is complicated and depends on a whole lot of factors that can sometimes be very individualized to a particular homeowner,” Ferguson said. But he encouraged all affected homeowners to apply regardless, because they will get a more comprehensive answer from FEMA.
The governor, along with U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-Spokane), is trying to meet with Trump and his administration as recovery efforts continue. Ferguson also said he plans to request additional FEMA funding in October. This is in addition to the previous emergency declaration that the federal government granted in August, just days after the fires ignited.
