Oregon Gets Federal Aid for Three Fires as FEMA Denies Two Requests

Oregon secured federal Fire Management Assistance Grants for three wildfires, while FEMA denied requests for two others, giving the state some cost-sharing relief but also a 30-day appeal deadline during a demanding 2026 fire season.

Gov. Tina Kotek’s office announced July 29 that FEMA approved grants for the Lower Dry Creek Fire in Umatilla County, the Akawa Butte Fire in Deschutes and Jefferson counties, and the Grasshopper Fire in Wasco County.

FEMA denied Oregon’s requests for the East Evans Creek Fire and the Rowe Creek Complex Fire. The state has 30 days to appeal those denials and is considering its next steps.

What Oregon received

The three approved grants provide federal cost-sharing assistance for eligible suppression expenses tied to the fires. Oregon’s announcement did not state the dollar value of the grants or say that funds had already been distributed.

According to FEMA’s Fire Management Assistance Grants fact sheet, the program provides a 75% federal cost share for eligible firefighting costs, with the remaining share covered by nonfederal sources under program rules. The program is available for fires that threaten destruction serious enough to become a major disaster.

The grants do not cover every expense associated with a wildfire. Eligible costs identified by Oregon and FEMA can include field camps, equipment use, materials, supplies, and mobilization and demobilization activities attributed to fighting the fire.

Two requests were denied

FEMA denied the state’s requests for the East Evans Creek Fire and the Rowe Creek Complex Fire. Oregon has not said that it will appeal; the governor’s office said the state is considering next steps within the 30-day appeal window.

The denials remain subject to that appeal process. If Oregon appeals, the state would still need to meet FEMA’s documentation and eligibility requirements before any reimbursement could be completed.

Why the grants matter to Oregon’s budget

Wildfire suppression costs can involve personnel, contracted services, equipment, transportation, supplies and temporary field operations. Federal participation in eligible costs can reduce the amount Oregon and other eligible governments must absorb, but the final reimbursement depends on program eligibility and supporting records.

The decisions come during an unusually demanding fire season. In a July 19 report, KPTV reported that more than 203,000 acres were burning across Oregon and that the Oregon Department of Forestry had no remaining available complex incident-management teams as crews responded to multiple fires.

In a July 26 report, KPTV cited the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center as reporting that large fires in Oregon and Washington had burned 1,322,187 acres during the year. The combined figure was greater than the region’s 10-year average for an entire year, according to the report.

That report listed the Rowe Creek Complex at more than 208,000 acres, the Akawa Butte Fire at more than 27,000 acres and the Grasshopper Fire at more than 15,000 acres as of July 26. Those figures were dated snapshots, not a current statewide fire total.

What happens next

Oregon must decide whether to appeal FEMA’s two denials within 30 days of the determinations. State agencies and eligible local or tribal partners will also need to track expenses and preserve documentation for the three approved grants.

For residents, the grants are federal cost-sharing assistance for public firefighting operations—not direct household payments, disaster-recovery checks or a guarantee that all suppression expenses will be reimbursed. The immediate accountability questions are whether Oregon appeals the two denials, how much eligible spending is ultimately approved, and how the state and other eligible governments cover the required nonfederal share.

Sources

• Oregon governor's wildfire assistance announcement
• FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grants fact sheet
• KPTV: Oregon and Washington surpass 1 million acres burned