Mayes pushes FEMA to prioritize fires, heat

(The Center Square) – Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes wants the Federal Emergency Management Agency to place a higher priority on wildfires and high temperatures.

Mayes sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and FEMA Chief Counsel Adrian Sevier co-signed by 13 other attorneys general around the country to push for "extreme heat and wildfire smoke events" to be considered allowable reasons for a disaster declaration, citing the Stafford Act. Specifically, they want wildfire smoke incidents to qualify for the Fire Management Assistance Grant. The letter is meant to show they're proponents of a new rulemaking petition on the topic.

"Extreme heat and wildfire smoke events are devastating because of their severe impact on public health and the environment, yet they are not currently recognized as major disasters by FEMA," Mayes said in a statement on Tuesday. "Updating FEMA's regulations to include these events will provide much-needed resources and help us better protect our residents."

"Although the Act by its terms authorizes major disaster declarations in response to high severity extreme heat and wildfire smoke events, such a declaration has never been issued. FEMA has also never authorized FMAG funding to address wildfire smoke—despite the Act’s use of the term “destruction” and the Act’s allowance of funding for assistance," the letter adds, even saying that federal funding could help "lower healthcare spending."

The request comes as multiple wildfires as burning across the state, including the Freeman Fire near Tucson and the Black Fire in eastern Arizona. The Watch Fire in Gila County, which is heavily impacting the San Carlos Apache Tribe, is at 81% containment as of Tuesday morning, according to state authorities . The Center Square reported that $400,000 in state taxpayer dollars will head toward Watch Fire relief.