Feds approve wildfire disaster assistance

(Jeff Beach – North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota is eligible for federal disaster assistance to help recover from historic wildfires in 2024.

President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for North Dakota, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a news release Thursday.

FEMA announced that public assistance federal funding is available to the state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations to help repair or replace facilities damaged by the wildfires in McKenzie and Williams counties.

Rural electrical cooperatives in McKenzie and Williams counties sustained damage estimated at $3.7 million during the Oct. 5-6 wildfires, according to the disaster declaration request sent to Biden in November.

Federal funding also is available for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Jacob Just, director of communications for the North Dakota Insurance Department, said the agency will work with local fire departments to identify ways to reduce risks and apply some lessons learned from the wildfire response.

Additional designations may come if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further assessments, the news release said.

A total of 190 fires burned 126,273 acres in North Dakota in October, according to the state Department of Emergency Services.

The state fire marshal has ruled that natural gas flares from oil wells combined with high winds and dry vegetation contributed to starting two of the fires.

People affected by wildfires can find financial, mental and physical recovery resources at ndresponse.gov/wildfire-recovery.