Gov. Greg Abbott announced Aug. 25 that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved a request from the state of Texas for a Fire Management Assistance Grant to support the response to the Ross Fire burning in Palo Pinto and Jack counties. The designation makes Texas eligible for federal reimbursement of wildfire suppression costs.
According to an Aug. 25 news release from the governor’s office, the fire had burned more than an estimated 50,000 acres and was 5 percent contained as of that morning. The blaze prompted the overnight evacuation of approximately 630 homes in the surrounding area and has threatened homes, damaged property and affected infrastructure, the release said. State and local response personnel are actively engaged in suppression, containment and public safety operations.
“Texas will provide all necessary resources to protect Texans from the Ross Fire in Palo Pinto and Jack Counties,” Abbott said in the release. “I thank the Trump Administration for the swift approval of this grant, which will help Texas suppress this wildfire and protect lives and property. Texans must limit any activity that can cause a spark and heed the guidance of state and local officials to prevent additional wildfires and keep themselves and their loved ones safe.”
A Fire Management Assistance Grant makes the state eligible for 75 percent reimbursement from the federal government for eligible costs tied to wildfire suppression, the governor’s office said. The grants are available to states and local jurisdictions to support the mitigation, management and control of fires that threaten to become major disasters.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management has activated additional state wildfire response resources at the governor’s direction, according to the release. Those resources include the Texas A&M Forest Service’s Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System, which supplies firefighters, heavy equipment such as bulldozers and motor graders, and contracted aircraft ranging from large air tankers and single-engine air tankers to super scoopers and firefighting helicopters. The Texas Department of State Health Services is providing Texas Emergency Medical Task Force wildland fire support packages of medics, ambulances and all-terrain vehicles, while the Texas National Guard has made Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters available for firefighting.
With little to no rainfall across most of Texas and temperatures consistently in triple digits, wildfire danger persists statewide, the governor’s office said, and TDEM and the Texas Emergency Management Council agencies continue to monitor conditions across the northern half of the state. State officials pointed Texans to the Texas Disaster Portal at disaster.texas.gov for safety tips, current fire information and damage reporting tools.