The Ford-Corkscrew fire burning north of Long Lake in Stevens County has grown to nearly 11,000 acres. New evacuations were ordered Monday night in an area
Washington’s Department of Natural Resources says fire agencies around the state have already responded to more than 250 wildfires this year. They say that
SPR s Doug Nadvornick reports.
The Small Business Administration says the window is still open for people and firms harmed by last September’s wildfires.
The federal agency is reminding eastern Washington and north Idaho residents interested in wildfire-related loans due to last September’s fires that they must apply by April 12.
The agency says businesses and non-profits can borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace homes, machines or other equipment burned by fire. Homeowners can borrow up to $200,000.
The agency recently announced it would provide loans for individuals who didn’t qualify for disaster relief aid offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
SPR s Doug Nadvornick reports.
The Washington House on Tuesday unanimously approved a wildfire prevention and forest health bill and sent it to the Senate.
Among other things, the bill would create a fund that would receive $125 million each biennium. That would pay for programs that help to make communities and forested areas less susceptible to wildfires, says Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz. She says the state sometimes spends more than $150 million each year to suppress wildfires.
“Across the state, legislators east and west, Republicans and Democrats, believe this is exactly what we should be investing in and that we have got to do something to change the trajectory. We can’t continue to have the years we’ve had in 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016. The list goes on, she said.
Washington’s U.S. senators say they’ve asked President Joe Biden to approve a major disaster declaration for eastern Washington towns that were burned by