HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Emergency Management Director Adam Weishaar clarified Monday that fire districts in the county are eligible for some federal reimbursement for damage sustained in the Cottonwood Complex fire.
The Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) Program provides a 75 percent Federal cost share and the State pays the remaining 25 percent for actual costs. "What this means is once we meet our threshold of roughly $239,000, qualifying expenses can be reimbursed by the federal government at 75%," Weishaar said.
Eligible firefighting costs may include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; tools, materials and supplies; and mobilization and demobilization activities.
In addition, under a separate program, small nonfarm businesses in 69 Kansas counties including Reno County and neighboring counties in Colorado, Nebraska and Oklahoma are now eligible to apply for low‑interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration thanks to the drought.
Small nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred.
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack declared an agricultural disaster related to the drought on April 8.