Biden approves major disaster declaration for North Dakota

FARGO — Less than a month before leaving office, President Joe Biden signed off on FEMA’s declaration of the October wildfires in western North Dakota as a major disaster, allowing federal assistance to flow into the state to supplement recovery efforts.

About 40 wildfires coupled with straight-line winds Oct. 5-6 claimed two lives and destroyed nearly 120,000 acres of land, several homes and multiple outbuildings, causing damage of more than $8 million, officials said. About $3.7 million in damage was caused to rural electrical cooperatives in McKenzie and Williams counties.

The FEMA funding is available to state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the wildfires and high winds in McKenzie and Williams counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Robert Little III has been named as the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further assessments, according to a statement by FEMA.

For more information, visit

ndresponse.gov/wildfire-recovery

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