ATLANTA - FEMA has authorized federal funds to reimburse costs to Florida to fight the Bertha Swamp Road Wildfire burning in Bay County.
On March 6, the state of Florida submitted a request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) for the Bertha Swamp Road Wildfire as a part of the Chipola Fire Complex. At the time of the request, the fire threatened more than 2,500 homes in Bay County. The Bertha Swamp Road blaze started March 4 and has burned more than 9,000 acres of state and private land. More than 6,300 people have evacuated.
FEMA Region 4 Administrator Gracia B. Szczech approved the state’s request for assistance in Bay County on March 6, as the fire threatened to become a major disaster. This is the second FMAG approved for Florida wildfires in the past two days.
FMAGs provide federal funding for up to 75 percent of eligible firefighting costs. The Disaster Relief Fund provides allowances for FMAGs through FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause major disasters. Eligible costs covered by FMAGs can include expenses for field camps, equipment use, materials, supplies and mobilization, and demobilization activities attributed to fighting the fire.
For more information on FMAGs, visit fema.gov/assistance/public/fire-management-assistance.
Source: Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency
