It's all hands on deck as Governor Greg Abbott gears up Texas for a federal boost amid the ravaging wildfires. Today, Abbott announced he's gotten the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on the horn to join forces with state and local officials and assess the wreckage. This partnership could be a lifeline for federal disaster assistance to those hit hard by the flames, as reported by the Office of the Texas Governor.
"To better help Texans swiftly recover from the damage caused by the devastating wildfires, I requested the U.S. Small Business Administration join our state and local officials to begin preliminary damage assessments in affected areas," Abbott declared in a briefing. He's pushing all those feeling the heat to speak out about any damage they've sustained via the TDEM’s iSTAT survey. This SBA assistance will be the crucial first step for Texans in the Panhandle to kickstart the rebuilding and recovery effort from these wildfires,” he added. With the SBA teams arriving this weekend, the collaboration hopes to tap into federal funds and mend the scarred landscape.
Texans are heeding Abbott’s call to report through iSTAT surveys, all in hopes of painting a clearer picture for recovery scouts on the ground. This intel from the frontlines is key, leading officials directly to the communities that are dealing the most with the destruction's aftermath. Meanwhile, over a thousand state responders remain relentless in their firefight, grappling with the blazes that continue to challenge the Texas Panhandle's resolve. As of today, The Grape Vine Creek Fire in Gray County is 96% contained after chewing through an estimated 34,883 acres, the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hutchinson County is 74% contained stretching over a colossal 1,058,482 acres, and the Windy Deuce Fire in Moore County, at 89% contained, has scorched an estimated 144,207 acres, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.
Abbott is not sitting this one out—his response has been swift and multi-pronged. Briefings with the brass in Canada and Borger have kept local leaders looped in on the state's tactical maneuvers against the fiery adversary. He has thrown down a disaster declaration like a gauntlet for 60 counties, standing at the ready to add more if the wildfires spread their reach. The Governor has freed up state agencies, from the environmental folks at TCEQ to the road warriors at TxDMV and the troopers at DPS, fast-tracking their aid to the battle lines. He's put TDEM to work deploying resources on steroids and cranked up the State Emergency Operations Center to full throttle. On top of that, Fed reinforcements have been secured, with FEMA green-lighting a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) for two of the big fires, which translates into a hefty check covering 75% of Texas' firefighting tab, as per the Office of the Texas Governor.
