OLYMPIA, Wash. — FEMA has officially announced that the federal emergency period for the wildfires that demolished many areas of Spokane and Eastern Washington is now over, according to Gov. Bob Ferguson.
Washington’s governor took to Facebook Tuesday, Sept. 1, to announce that they are exploring the option to request additional federal assistance by sending in a ‘Major Disaster Declaration’ application. This application is due at the end of the month, Sept. 29.
“It’s a big job to put together this application. We depend on local governments to provide key information,” Ferguson wrote on Facebook. “Our Emergency Management Division has been working closely with FEMA and local governments for several weeks to gather this information.”
The next step is President Trump’s approval. Gov. Ferguson notes that he has already asked to meet with the president.
If President Trump approves the application, the aid will directly impact “thousands of individuals who have lost so much and local governments [to] repair infrastructure damaged by the fires,” according to Gov. Ferguson.