Senator Murray strongly supported request for a Major Disaster Declaration; Spoke on the Senate Floor in September and led letter in support of Governor Inslee’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration
***VIDEO HERE of Senator Murray speaking on Senate floor about Gray and Oregon Road fires***
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the Disaster Declaration announced today for the Gray and Oregon Road wildfires that began on August 18th and burned more than 21,000 acres in Eastern Washington. The fires combined left hundreds of people without homes and caused the loss of at least $166 million in assessed property value alone—causing more property damage than any fire Washington state has ever seen, as reported by The Spokesman-Review. The Gray fire destroyed 240 homes—the second-most in state history—while the Oregon Road fire destroyed 126 homes.
“The Gray and Oregon Road fires were absolutely devastating for families in Northern Spokane Country, hundreds of whom saw their homes and their land destroyed. I made clear in the immediate aftermath of those fires that I’d do everything I could to make sure these communities had the resources they needed to get through this and recover,” said Senator Murray. “Since then I’ve been pushing hard for this disaster declaration, including in a conversation with the White House just last week, because I know how critical this is to unlocking federal dollars and resources for people in Northern Spokane County to recover and rebuild. I want to thank the Biden Administration for always working closely with us to put the people of Washington state first—now I’ll be focused on making sure this federal assistance gets where it needs to go to really help the people who lost so much in these fires.”
“This long-awaited announcement is what we had hoped for to provide needed assistance to the hundreds of families impacted by the Gray and Oregon fires,” said Spokane County Commissioner Al French. “Deeply appreciate all of the efforts done by Senator Murray and our federal delegation to make this possible for the Spokane region and those impacted by the fires.”
The declaration includes aid for public and individual assistance. The Individual Assistance Program ensures that disaster survivors have access to a full range of authorized programs and services—such as unemployment assistance, crisis counseling, case management, and much more for those affected by the fires. The Public Assistance Program helps to connect state, local, and Tribal governments, as well as a select few private nonprofit organizations, with grant assistance for debris removal, facilities restoration, and more.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service.
In September, Senator Murray spoke on the Senate Floor about the devastation the Gray and Oregon Road Fires caused in Eastern Washington, making clear: “communities in Eastern Washington have a long way to go on the road to recovery—so, I will absolutely be staying in close touch with folks in my state, and on the frontlines, and making sure our families and communities have the support they need to get through this.” In October, Senator Murray, Senator Cantwell, and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers sent a letter to President Biden in support of Governor Jay Inslee’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Washington State as a result of the significant damages incurred by the fires.
Senator Murray is working to protect and expand investments in wildfire suppression and mitigation—and in our firefighters—as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The draft, committee-passed Interior and Environment appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2024 included essential investments in wildfire preparedness and suppression; as she negotiates the final funding bills for FY24, Senator Murray is working to ensure they maintain strong investments in combating wildfires and supporting first responders.
Senator Murray also secured key investments in wildfire prevention and mitigation in last year’s government funding package, and earlier this year, Senator Murray announced nearly $25 million in funding for wildfire mitigation projects across Washington state funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In August, Senator Murray met with Chelan County firefighters, U.S. Forest Service representatives, and others for a briefing on wildfire activity in the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest and across Washington state.
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