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Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

Photograph of flames from the Harris Fire

​The Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) is federal financial assistance available to States, local and tribal governments, for the mitigation, management, and control of fires on publicly or privately owned forests or grasslands. 

An FMAG is requested by a Local or State fire agency through the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA).  Cal EMA will submit a request by telephone to FEMA while the fire is burning uncontrolled, and threatens such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. There are four criteria that FEMA uses to evaluate the threat posed by a fire or fire complex:  

          - Threat to lives and improved property, including threats to critical facilities/infrastructure,   
             and critical watershed areas;  
          - Availability of State and local firefighting resources;  
          - High fire danger conditions, as indicated by nationally accepted indices such as
            the National Fire Danger Ratings System;  
          - Potential major impact.
              
The entire process is accomplished on an expedited basis and a FEMA decision is rendered in a matter of hours.
 

FMAG Application Deadline

Eligible applicants must submit a Request for Fire Management Assistance Subgrant (RFMAS) FEMA Form 90-133 to Cal EMA within 30 days of the close of the incident period. Applicants must include a completed Fire Management Assistance Questionnaire.  Cal EMA will forward the RFMAS and Questionnaire to FEMA with an eligibility recommendation.  FEMA will advise Cal EMA of the applicant's eligibility. 
 
Applicants eligible to apply for FMAG:

  • State Agencies
  • Local Governments (county, city and special districts)

  • Indian tribal governments (they may apply directly to FEMA as the Grantee)

Applicants ineligible to apply for FMAG:

  • Private Non-Profit Organizations

There is no state cost share for FMAG. The FMAG program will reimburse applicants 75% of eligible costs per the FEMA-State Agreement. 

Schedule of Applicant's Briefings for FMAG events: