FEMA Approves a Fire Management Assistance Grant for North Texas Wildfire

AUSTIN, TX — Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant for the Ross Fire burning in Palo Pinto and Jack counties.

The grant will help Texas cover the costs of suppressing the wildfire, which has threatened homes, damaged property, impacted infrastructure and prompted evacuations in North Texas.

“Texas will provide all necessary resources to protect Texans from the Ross Fire in Palo Pinto and Jack Counties,” Abbott said. “I thank the Trump Administration for the swift approval of this grant, which will help Texas suppress this wildfire and protect lives and property.”

As of Tuesday morning, the Ross Fire had burned an estimated 50,000 acres and was 5% contained. The wildfire prompted the evacuation of about 630 homes overnight, while state and local crews continued suppression, containment and public safety operations.

The Fire Management Assistance Grant makes Texas eligible for reimbursement of up to 75% of eligible wildfire suppression costs. The grants are available to states and local governments for fires that threaten to become major disasters.

Abbott also said the Texas Division of Emergency Management has activated additional state wildfire response resources to assist local agencies battling fires across the state.

Resources deployed include firefighters and heavy equipment through the Texas A&M Forest Service, firefighting aircraft, emergency medical teams from the Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas National Guard helicopters, Department of Public Safety troopers, Texas Department of Transportation personnel, Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens and aircraft, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension disaster recovery personnel, and support from the Public Utility Commission, Railroad Commission and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

State officials said those resources supplement assets previously deployed to assist local wildfire response efforts.

With little rainfall and triple-digit temperatures continuing across much of Texas, state officials warned that wildfire danger remains elevated throughout the northern half of the state and urged Texans to avoid activities that could ignite fires and to follow evacuation orders and guidance from local officials.