Will The Feds Continue To Pay For Oregon Wildfire Efforts?

Oregon wildfire officials are watching to see whether federal funding continues for fighting wildfires.  FEMA pays up to three-quarters of the cost to fight wildfires declared disasters.  Oregon State Fire Marshall Mariana Ruiz Temple said it's about half of their overall costs.

"About $7.6 million of the State Fire Marshall's expenses out of our $16 million are in FEMA grants, so we expect to see those [in] two to three years," she said.

It takes two to three years for the federal government to pay its bills.  Kyle Williams, with the Oregon Department of Forestry, said they have not seen a change in response from the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management.

"Our partnerships have stayed strong," Williams pointed out.  "When we call, they have answered the phone.  In fact, I would say that the stance from both agencies, BLM and Forest Service this summer has been very aggressive in terms of their response and initial attack."

With uncertainty in the federal government, Williams said they're waiting to see if FEMA payments change.  And they may not know for at least two years, when this summer's bills would typically be paid.

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