Washington Gets 4th Wildfire Assistance Grant From FEMA

BOTHELL, WA — The federal government on Wednesday authorized nearly $800,000 to help pay for ongoing firefighting efforts at the Cedar Creek Fire, burning in Okanogan County near Mazama. As of Wednesday morning, the fire neared 15,000 acres in size, at just 11 percent containment. Not far to its east, the Cub Creek 2 Fire has burned more than 35,000 acres and was just 5 percent contained.

In approving Washington's request for help at the Cedar Creek Fire, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) noted evacuation orders in place for several neighborhoods and the risks posed to community infrastructure.

"At the time of the state's request, the wildfire was threatening homes in and around the community of Mazama and the north end of the Methow Valley," FEMA wrote Wednesday. "The fire was also threatening recreational, electrical and communications infrastructure as well as roads, utilities, and businesses in the area."

The grant approved Wednesday is Washington's fourth of the 2021 wildfire season. The acting administrator for FEMA's Region 10 said the Cedar Creek Fire threatened enough damage to constitute a "major disaster."

Fire management assistance grants come through the President's Disaster Relief Fund and can be used to pay for field camps, equipment, repairs, tools, supplies and other materials. FEMA funds can cover up to 75 percent of the state's eligible firefighting costs for eligible fires.

The Cedar Creek Fire and the Cub Creek 2 Fire are two of more than a dozen large wildfires burning in Washington in Oregon. The Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon is the largest fire burning in the United States.

Smoke from Western wildfires continues to pour across the nation, degrading air quality thousands of miles away.