Obama orders federal help for state, local firefighting

President Barack Obama ordered federal aid to state and local agencies fighting wildfires in Washington.

In signing an emergency declaration Friday morning, Obama authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief “to save lives and protect property and public health and safety and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe.” He was responding to a request Wednesday from Gov. Jay Inslee.

The order covers much of Central and Eastern Washington: Asotin, Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Klickitat, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Spokane, Stevens and Yakima counties; plus the Colville Confederated, Kalispel, Spokane and Yakama reservations.

The federal government will provide 75 percent of the cost of emergency measures, a statement from the White House said.

The order will provide assistance in four areas:

• Transmitters and other emergency communications equipment;

• Emergency power generators for local governments;

• Crisis counseling;

• A team to assess burned areas on the possible threats to public health and safety, as well as information on preventing further damage.

The state also expects to file a request for a federal disaster declaration later, which would provide federal aid for some property lost in the wildfires. But that process takes longer, and requires extensive data on losses and the amount of insurance coverage in affected areas.

Last year the federal government approved an emergency declaration for the Carlton Complex fire in Central Washington, but rejected the subsequent disaster declaration. The Small Business Administration later approved low-interest loans for some businesses damaged by the wildfires.