Late today, President Obama's Administration notified Gov. Jay Inslee he has approved assistance for Okanogan County and confederated Colville tribes for repairing or replacing public infrastructure lost as a result of recent wildfires. This public assistance was one part of the federal disaster declaration request by Gov. Inslee last week.
The approval means FEMA will reimburse Okanogan County and the confederated Colville tribes for 75 percent of the costs of eligible expenses related to disaster-damaged facilities such as roads, bridges, and public utilities. Preliminary estimates show the fires caused approximately $35 million in damages.
The Administration has not yet made a decision related individual assistance, which would provide assistance to individuals and household. FEMA officials indicated they are still reviewing the governor's request and did not indicate a timeline for a decision.
"This is good news for our local government leaders who have been managing significant damage as a result of these fires," Gov. Inslee said. "I appreciate the Administration's swift and prompt review of our request and am hopeful we'll hear more news soon about resources for our impacted families and businesses."