Fire recovery resources
by Guy Cameron, Director, Wyoming Office of Homeland Security
October 12, 2018
The impacts of the Roosevelt Fire were devastating, and life changing for many. My heart goes out to those affected by the fire and I also thank the dedicated firefighters who battle the fire and those who supported the incident. The true community spirit of Wyoming was apparent as neighbors and communities came together during and following the fire.
This was a large-scale event that brought in more than 1,000 firefighters and destroyed 55 homes. Unfortunately the damage assessments conducted did not reach the requirements for federal disaster relief under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. The number of uninsured, primary homes, did not meet the criteria to provide relief through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Individual Assistance program. As a result, assistance through a federal disaster declaration is not available in this situation.
Individual insurance is normally the first line of assistance in a fire event. The state Insurance Department is available to answer any questions and assure proper practices.
Please know that in recovery from this fire state officials are researching all the options available to assist you.
State agencies are working together to explore all available recovery resources and to make those accessible for Sublette County, Hoback Ranches Service and Improvement District and those impacted by the fire. I encourage those who have suffered damages to look at the available resources at http://hls.wyo.gov. This listing will be updated as new information is received.
A Hazard Mitigation Grant Program – Post Fire Grant was approved. This grant provides mitigation funding to Sublette County and/or its local governmental jurisdictions to support risk reduction of a hazard. This includes projects such as wildfire mitigation (for example: fire-resistant materials used on home exteriors, soil stabilization or watershed protection projects (for example: erosion control mats, large-scale seeding, log terracing to channel flood water, silt fences to prevent sediment runoff, or mulching to protect soil minerals).
A federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) was also approved. The purpose of FMAG is to provide supplemental federal assistance to states and local government to fight fires burning on public (non-federal) or privately owned forest or grassland.
As we move forward in the aftermath of the Roosevelt fire, we will continue to research options available to those impacted.
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