DENVER – FEMA has approved $1.35 million in Public Assistance funding as part of the recovery effort from the Richard Spring Fire which impacted southern Montana in August 2021. The assistance was made available under a major disaster declaration issued September 30, 2021. FEMA has provided more than $1.83 million in total Public Assistance funds for the Richard Spring Fire recovery to date.
The FEMA Public Assistance funds were awarded to the Tongue River Electric Cooperative for the cost of restoring electric service. The wildfire caused widespread damage to the utility’s infrastructure, affecting more than 3,500 residential and commercial buildings. To restore service, the utility replaced 146 destroyed transmission poles along with multiple sub-assemblies, distribution lines, connectors and cross-arms.
FEMA’s Public Assistance reimbursements are made on a cost-sharing basis to states, tribes, counties, municipalities, and certain private nonprofit organizations for emergency work and restoration of infrastructure. The approved federal grant represents 90 percent of the total cost of the project.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program covers eligible disaster-related debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair or rebuilding of public facilities such as roads, bridges, water control facilities, buildings, equipment, public utilities, parks and recreational facilities.
Additional information about FEMA’s Public Assistance program can be found at www.fema.gov/assistance/public.