The Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) is a cost-share program offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It is available to state, local and tribal governments. It is used for the mitigation, management and control of fires on publicly or privately owned lands that could cause significant destruction constituting a presidential major disaster declaration. The entire request and approval process occurs on an expedited basis.
The following criteria are considered during the FMAG evaluation process:
- Threat to lives and improved property, including threats to critical facilities/infrastructure and critical watershed areas
- Availability of state and local firefighting resources
- High fire danger conditions, as indicated by nationally accepted indices such as the National Fire Danger Ratings System (NFDRS)
- Potential major economic impact
Eligible Firefighting Costs
Before a grant can be awarded, a state must demonstrate that total eligible costs for the declared fire meet or exceed either the individual fire cost threshold (which is applied to single fires) or the cumulative fire cost threshold (which recognizes numerous smaller fires burning throughout a state).
Eligible firefighting costs may include expenses for:
- Field camps
- Repair and replacement tools
- Mobilization and demobilization activities
- Equipment use
- Materials and supplies