Gov. Scott: Trump Administration Approves Request for Fire Management Assistance Grant

NAPLES, Fla., April 21 -- Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., issued the following news release:

Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the State of Florida received a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which allows the use of federal funds to reimburse response costs to fight the 30th Avenue wildfire and the 18th and Fragipani wildfire in Collier County. Governor Scott requested the FMAG on behalf of the Florida Forest Service. The 30th Avenue wildfire and the 18th and Fragipani wildfire in Collier County have grown to more than 3,400 acres and currently threaten residential areas in east Collier County.

Governor Scott said, "Our firefighters and first responders are working day and night in order to keep our communities safe and we are fully committed to ensuring they have every resource they need in this fight. That is why I requested a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Trump Administration and I appreciate their swift response in fulfilling this request. The increase in wildfires is an issue the Trump Administration is very focused on. If you are in an evacuation zone, leave immediately. Remember, you can rebuild your home, but you cannot rebuild your life. We will continue to monitor these wildfires and take every available action in order to keep our state safe."

Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam said, "I am grateful to the Trump Administration for recognizing the need to direct resources to the massive wildfires in Collier County. We must deploy every weapon in the arsenal to save lives and property."

Bryan Koon, Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said, "We're thankful for FEMA's timely response to our request. This Fire Management Assistance Grant will provide our state and local responders the resources they need to effectively fight this wildfire and ensure the safety of affected Floridians."

Federal fire management assistance covers seventy-five percent of eligible fire response costs, including aviation assets, field camps, equipment use, tools, materials and supplies. For more information about the wildfire safety and response, visit www.Floridadisaster.org or follow the Division on Twitter at @FLSERT and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FloridaSERT.