DENVER ~ Denver, CO - In a press conference today, Governor Jared Polis announced that Colorado has been granted a FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) for the Willow Fire currently burning in Lake County. The grant was authorized after the Governor declared a verbal disaster emergency for the fire on Monday, June 29th.

The Willow Fire has already scorched over 4,000 acres of land and has forced more than 1,500 people to evacuate their homes. An additional 2,100 people have been placed under pre-evacuation orders. As of now, the fire is only 1% contained.

Governor Polis expressed his gratitude for the brave firefighters who have been working tirelessly to contain the blaze over the holiday weekend. He also reminded Coloradans of their responsibility to be fire safe in order to prevent new fires from starting.

The authorization of the FMAG means that FEMA will cover 75% of the state's eligible firefighting costs for managing and controlling designated fires. However, this grant does not provide assistance to individual homeowners or businesses affected by the fire.

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The Governor's verbal declaration on June 29th activated the State Emergency Operations Plan and directed various departments within the Department of Public Safety to take charge of response, recovery, and mitigation efforts for the Willow Fire. This includes utilizing state and interagency resources such as engines and handcrews, aviation resources, and incident management personnel.

Additionally, the Department of Public Safety's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) is providing support to Lake County's Emergency Manager and their operations center with on-site field managers. The National Guard has also been authorized to assist in response efforts.

DFPC is also playing a crucial role in supporting Lake County and managing the incident by providing administrative and financial oversight as well as intelligence products such as imaging, mapping, and fire behavior modeling.

Governor Polis emphasized that protecting lives, property, and businesses is the top priority and thanked all those involved in the response efforts. He urged the public to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to prevent any further fires from starting.

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