FEMA Authorizes Funds to Fight Utah’s Rocky Canyon Fire

FEMA authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Rocky Canyon Fire burning east of Salt Lake City in Morgan and Summit counties in Utah.

FEMA Region 8 approved the state's request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) after receiving the request Sunday evening and determining that the fire threatened such destruction that it would constitute a major disaster.

At the time of the request, the Rocky Canyon Fire was threatening more than 150 homes and other buildings. The fire is also threatening transportation, communication, power, and water system infrastructure. The Rocky Canyon Fire started on August 7, 2026 and has burned more than 13,000 acres with 0% containment. The fire is one of several major wildfires currently burning in Utah that have burned more than 300,000 acres statewide.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state's eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.

Fire Management Assistance Grants are provided through the President's Disaster Relief Fund and are made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; mobilization and demobilization activities; and tools, materials and supplies.

For more information on FMAGs, visit https://www.fema.gov/fire-management-assistance-grants-program-details.