Governor Perdue announces additional FEMA reimbursements for Sweat Farm Road Fire

ATLANTA –Governor Perdue announced today the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) approval of a $1.5 million reimbursement to Georgia as a result of an April 2007 Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) to help the state fight the Sweat Farm Road Fire in southeast Georgia.

This is FEMA Region IV’s fifth seven-figure grant in connection with this blaze, now totaling nearly $19 million in federal funds.

“Unfortunately, Georgia has faced a number of disasters recently, including the 2007 fires and multiple rounds of severe weather this year,” said Governor Perdue. “FEMA has stood with us every step of the way as we have responded to these events. This reimbursement will assist with firefighting costs incurred not only by Ware County, but also through the many agencies that offered help through a number of mutual aid assistance agreements.”

The Sweat Farm Road Fire broke out on April 16, 2007, in Ware County. By the time it was contained two months later, it impacted over 500,000 acres, destroyed five homes, threatened 800 homes and businesses in the city of Waycross and forced about 2,100 evacuations.

The latest grant is based on costs Ware County incurred associated with assistance provided by 82 fire departments, two local law enforcement agencies and five emergency medical service departments from throughout the state via mutual aid agreements. Under the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act’s FMAG program, FEMA reimburses states for 75 percent of their approved firefighting costs such as equipment, materials, labor, food and lodging. The state of Georgia has agreed to pay 21.25 percent of the non-federal share which is 25 percent.

“This huge fire would have caused much more damage and, no doubt, loss of life without the heroic efforts of these agencies,” said FEMA Region IV Administrator Phil May. “We are proud to help this effort by helping cover their costs.”

A total of 11 FMAGs, five to Georgia and six to Florida, were issued in FEMA Region IV between March 26 and May 31, 2007. There have been two issued so far in 2008, one in Florida and one in North Carolina.

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