Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) joined eight of his Senate colleagues in urging the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure that all communities receive the federal resources they need to prevent and respond to wildfires.
Why specifically do states need this assistance? An analysis conducted by the Joint Economic Committee found that the annual economic burden of wildfires on the U.S. economy ranges from $394 billion to $893 billion. States often have to bear the brunt of disaster response and recovery costs.
Currently, states can request financial assistance from FEMA through Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) to help cover emergency-related costs, firefighting activities, and administrative expenses. However, many states are stilling waiting on this assistance.
What Sen. Raphael Warnock and his colleagues had to say:
- “Unfortunately, over 3.1 million acres have already burned across the country since the beginning of this year, which is the second largest number of acres burned in a January to July period in the past 10 years.”
- “Given these recent fires, the persistent drought across multiple states, and the expected above normal wildfire activity, it is imperative that FEMA helps communities quickly respond to wildfires and increase their resilience to future wildfire disasters.”
- “Fortunately, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) to help communities manage and control wildfire disasters. There were 67 FMAG declarations in fiscal year 2025 alone, which shows how valuable these grants are to helping communities combat wildfires. Therefore, FMAGs must continue to be available to all communities, especially for rural communities, as we prepare to enter the upcoming wildfire season.”
Further Context: Earlier this year, Georgia experienced the two most destructive fires in the state’s history, the Pineland Road Fire in Clinch and Echols County and the Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County.
Together these fires burned over 50,000 acres, cost the state of Georgia $35 million, and destroyed 110 homes.
Comprehensive and timely FEMA assistance is vital to ensuring Georgians have the adequate resources to recover from the devastating effects of these wildfires.
