A growing bipartisan effort is underway to persuade the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reconsider its decision to deny federal Fire Management Assistance Grant funding for two of Oregon’s largest and most destructive wildfires this season, with state lawmakers arguing that communities in Southern Oregon met the federal standards for assistance.
State Sen. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, announced Friday that he has formally asked FEMA to reverse its denials for the East Evans Creek Fire and the Rowe Creek Fire Complex, saying both incidents exceeded the agency’s established thresholds for emergency support and continue to place Oregon communities at significant risk.
In a letter sent to the federal agency, Brock Smith urged FEMA to approve Fire Management Assistance Grant funding immediately, contending that local officials documented the severity of both fires and demonstrated eligibility under the program’s requirements.
The request comes as Oregon continues to experience one of its most severe early wildfire seasons in recent history. According to information released by the senator’s office, more than one million acres have burned across the state, while tens of thousands of residents have been placed under evacuation orders during the ongoing fire season.
Although FEMA previously approved Fire Management Assistance Grants for the Lower Dry Creek Fire, the Akawa Butte Fire and the Grasshopper Fire, assistance was denied for both the East Evans Creek Fire and the Rowe Creek Fire Complex.
Brock Smith said the decision leaves communities facing similar wildfire threats without the same level of federal support.
“The severity of these fires and the number of Oregonians displaced make FEMA’s denials unacceptable,” Brock Smith said. “Our communities followed protocol, documented the threat, and demonstrated clear eligibility. They deserve the same urgency and support FEMA has provided elsewhere.”
According to the senator’s office, the East Evans Creek Fire placed more than 230 homes under Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation orders while threatening roads, utility infrastructure, communications towers and agricultural operations throughout the affected area.
The Rowe Creek Fire Complex also generated significant emergency response efforts, with more than 400 residents placed under Level 3 evacuation orders. The fire has since expanded beyond 300,000 acres, making it one of Oregon’s largest wildfire incidents of the season.
Brock Smith’s appeal has also drawn support from lawmakers representing other areas of the state, reflecting concerns that communities facing comparable wildfire emergencies should receive consistent consideration for federal assistance.
State Rep. Emerson Levy stated that both fires met the threshold for impacted households but were ultimately denied assistance. State Rep. Vikki Breese-Iverson also expressed concern over the disparity, saying rural communities were facing “the same disaster, same need, but not the same help.”
Fire Management Assistance Grants are designed to help state, local, tribal and territorial governments offset the costs of managing large wildfires that threaten to become major disasters. The funding can reimburse eligible firefighting expenses and support emergency response efforts intended to protect lives, homes and critical infrastructure.
Supporters of the request argue that the East Evans Creek Fire and the Rowe Creek Fire Complex satisfied the program’s eligibility standards based on the number of threatened homes, evacuation activity and the potential impacts on essential public infrastructure.
Brock Smith said communities affected by the fires should receive the same level of federal assistance provided to other wildfire incidents across Oregon.
“I echo my colleagues, ‘when disaster hits one part of Oregon, it hits all of us,'” Brock Smith said. “I urge FEMA to reverse these denials and approve FMAG funding immediately, so our firefighters, communities, their residents and the businesses that support them receive the assistance they urgently need.”
At this time, FEMA has not announced whether it will reconsider the funding denials. If the agency reverses its decision, Fire Management Assistance Grant funding could help reimburse state and local governments for eligible wildfire suppression costs while providing additional financial support for emergency operations as firefighters continue working to contain the East Evans Creek Fire and the Rowe Creek Fire Complex.