Governor Abbott Announces Federal Assistance For Ross Fire In North Texas

Governor Abbott Announces Federal Assistance For Ross Fire In North Texas

Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a request from the State of Texas for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) for the Ross Fire in Palo Pinto and Jack Counties, which has threatened homes, damaged property, impacted infrastructure, and prompted local evacuations in North Texas.

“Texas will provide all necessary resources to protect Texans from the Ross Fire in Palo Pinto and Jack Counties,” said Governor Abbott. “I thank the Trump Administration for the swift approval of this grant, which will help Texas suppress this wildfire and protect lives and property. Texans must limit any activity that can cause a spark and heed the guidance of state and local officials to prevent additional wildfires and keep themselves and their loved ones safe.”

As of this morning, the Ross Fire has burned more than an estimated 50,000 acres and is 5 percent contained. The fire prompted the evacuation of approximately 630 homes overnight in the surrounding area. State and local response personnel are actively engaged in suppression, containment, and public safety operations.

The approval of a Fire Management Assistance Grant makes the State of Texas eligible for 75 percent reimbursement from the federal government for eligible costs associated with wildfire suppression. These grants are available to states and local jurisdictions to support the mitigation, management, and control of fires that threaten to become major disasters.

Additionally, TDEM has activated additional state wildfire response resources at the Governor’s direction to support local wildfire response efforts across the state. At the direction of Governor Abbott, the following state wildfire response resources remain available to support local wildfire response operations:

• ‍Texas A&M Forest Service (Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System): State, local, and out-of-state firefighters and support personnel; heavy equipment such as bulldozers and motor graders; state and federally contracted firefighting aircraft including large air tankers, single-engine air tankers for retardant drops, air attack platforms for surveillance and spotting, super scoopers for water drops, helicopters with firefighting capability, and air attack platforms for surveillance and spotting‍
• Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Wildland Fire Support Packages consisting of medics, ambulances, and all-terrain vehicles‍
• Texas National Guard: Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters with firefighting capability‍
• Texas Department of Transportation: Personnel monitoring road conditions‍
• Texas Department of Public Safety: Texas Highway Patrol Troopers to patrol roadways and assist stranded motorists‍
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Game Wardens, State Park Police, aircraft to support response needs‍
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agents as well as AgriLife Extension Agents to support agricultural and livestock needs‍
• Public Utility Commission of Texas: Power outage monitoring and coordination with utility providers‍
• Railroad Commission of Texas: Monitoring of the state’s natural gas supply and communication with the oil and gas industry‍
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring

These resources are mobilized in addition to state resources previously deployed by the Governor to support local wildfire response efforts. TDEM and the Texas Emergency Management Council agencies continue to monitor increased wildfire conditions across the northern half of the state.

With little to no rainfall for most areas of Texas and temperatures consistently in triple digits, wildfire danger persists across the state. Texans can find wildfire resources including safety tips, current fire information, and damage reporting tools in the Texas Disaster Portal online at disaster.texas.gov.