Governor Gianforte Secures FEMA Grant for Sand Creek Fire

Governor's Office

HELENA, Mont. - Governor Greg Gianforte today announced the State of Montana secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist with costs associated with fighting the Sand Creek Fire in Beaverhead County.

"The State of Montana has been in constant contact with the U.S. Forest Service since the Sand Creek Fire first began," Gov. Gianforte said. "We're asking all Montanans to follow all necessary precautions and take the evacuation warnings and orders from local law enforcement seriously. As we enter the core of fire season, I ask all Montanans to stay updated with the latest updates and restrictions at mtfireinfo.org while our firefighters and law enforcement work to protect our communities."

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), along with Montana Disaster and Emergency Services (MT DES), submitted the request for firefighting assistance to FEMA.

A FMAG makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state's eligible firefighting costs. Eligible costs include materials and supplies, mobilization and demobilization, equipment use, and expenses.

The Sand Creek Fire, which started Aug. 1, has burned over 31,000 acres and is one percent contained as of Monday morning. Firefighters are continuing to prioritize structure protection and have prevented structure loss, with the only confirmed impact being to the Maverick Mountain upper lift shack and the Maverick Mountain U.S. Forest Service repeater. Emergency evacuation orders are in place for all communities north of Clark Creek and Shale Creek, including Elkhorn Hot Springs and Maverick Mountain.

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