BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — FEMA has authorized funding to help fight the Marshall Fire, which in a matter of hours became the most destructive fire in Colorado history.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized the funding through a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant. It makes FEMA money available to pay 75% of the state’s firefighting costs.
The grant money can be used for:
- field camps
- equipment use
- repair and replacement
- mobilization and demobilization activities
- tools, materials and supplies
The grants are provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and are available “to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster,” according to FEMA.
Tammy Littrell, FEMA’s acting regional administrator, authorized the funding late Thursday afternoon when the fire had destroyed more than 100 homes and threatened more than 1,000.
Shortly after, officials said the fire had burned more than 580 homes, making it the most destructive fire in Colorado history in terms of homes lost. That number now has grown, although it’s unclear by how much.