Gov. Bob Ferguson is asking President Donald Trump to approve a federal Major Disaster Declaration following devastating wildfires.
Gov. Bob Ferguson is asking President Donald Trump to approve a federal Major Disaster Declaration following devastating wildfires that burned nearly 369,000 acres across eastern Washington this summer.
The fires destroyed 649 primary homes and damaged another 2,542 homes, according to a preliminary damage assessment conducted by the Washington State Emergency Management Division, FEMA and local jurisdictions.
Ferguson said the scale of the destruction has overwhelmed the ability of state and local governments to handle the recovery on their own.
“No state, no county, no city can handle the disaster of this scope on its own,” Ferguson said. “That is not possible, and that's exactly what this type of assistance that we're asking for today is designed to do.”
The federal government previously granted Washington an emergency declaration, providing short-term resources for the immediate response. Ferguson is now seeking a Major Disaster Declaration that would make additional federal assistance available for longer-term recovery.
If approved, residents in Benton, Okanogan, Spokane and Stevens counties, as well as the Spokane Tribe of Indians, could apply directly to FEMA for Individual Assistance. The state estimates about $11.2 million could be available to help residents with emergency costs.
The request has support from every member of Washington's congressional delegation and leaders of all four caucuses in the state Legislature.
Ferguson also announced several state actions intended to make rebuilding easier, including seeking greater flexibility in building-code requirements for some homeowners, proposing sales and use tax rebates for rebuilding costs and speeding up debris removal.
