Washington Requests Additional $13.2M in FEMA Aid for Wildfire Infrastructure Repairs, Total Tops $133M
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson on October 7 submitted an additional request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Public Assistance funding to repair public infrastructure damaged by wildfires in Central and Eastern Washington. The new request, projected at up to $13.2 million, covers permanent repair, restoration or replacement of damaged infrastructure including roads, bridges and utilities, bringing the state's total federal Public Assistance request for this disaster to over $133 million. In late July and early August 2026, multiple large wildfires burned across Central and Eastern Washington, destroying hundreds of homes, forcing evacuations of homes and hospitals, causing widespread power outages, disrupting essential services, causing long-term damage to ranching and agricultural businesses, and injuring dozens of firefighters. The additional request covers Asotin, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, Okanogan, Spokane, Stevens, Whitman and Yakima counties, as well as the Spokane Tribe of Indians. FEMA's Public Assistance Program provides up to 75% federal reimbursement for qualifying repairs, including debris removal and repairs to roads, bridges, public buildings, public utilities, water control facilities and parks.
Ferguson had earlier requested a federal major disaster declaration on September 28 and had also sought FEMA Individual Assistance for homeowners. Announcing the additional request, he said: "Federal assistance is essential to our state's recovery from these historic wildfires."
(Source: Office of the Governor of Washington)
Source: Office of the Governor of Washington
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图片来源：Joe Mabel / Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 4.0）
