Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Rep. Simpson: Fire expenses covered

Congressman tours Castle Rock Fire Tuesday morning


By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

Idaho Senate Minority Leader Clint Stennett, D-Ketchum, and U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, survey a map of the Castle Rock Fire at Ketchum City Hall Tuesday afternoon. Simpson said he is attempting to pull strings to make sure state and local governments are reimbursed for fire suppression efforts. Photo by Greg Stahl

U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said Tuesday afternoon at Ketchum City Hall that he is doing what he can to help coordinate federal moneys to cover expenses incurred by local and state authorities combating the Castle Rock Fire.

That means that Simpson placed telephone calls to the Federal Emergency Management Agency telling them an emergency grant application would be on the way Tuesday. The uncapped grant would involve a 75/25 split between the federal and state governments to cover expenses. The application will go to the Region 5 office and then be forwarded to Washington, D.C.

Simpson said he doesn't expect the FEMA application to be rejected, but if it is he will ask President Bush for a disaster declaration.

By Tuesday afternoon, Idaho Senate Minority Leader Clint Stennett estimated the total cost of suppressing the Castle Rock Fire was approaching $15 million. Of that, the state and local share was approximately $500,000.

"Our job as congressmen is not to fight the fires," Simpson said. "They've got professionals to do that. Our job is to get the funding to make sure they can fight the fires."

Simpson met with Stennett, Castle Rock Fire Incident Commander Jeanne Pincha-Tulley, Ketchum Mayor Randy Hall and Blaine County Commission Chairman Tom Bowman on Tuesday morning.

Simpson said the impromptu meeting afforded an opportunity to work through some of the steps that will need to be taken to cover firefighting expenses.

"It was absolutely critical that the congressman was there," Stennett said. "What could have been a mountain—we just ran over the top of it."

Simpson said the only catch with the FEMA grant application could be that firefighters have done such an outstanding job at protecting homes and buildings. Also, he said FEMA typically considers allocating funding based on the date of a grant application. In this case Simpson has instructed the federal agency to consider reimbursing firefighting expenses retroactively to Tuesday, Aug. 21, the day the Castle Rock Fire was upgraded in priority to the most pressing wildland fire in the country.

"I told them we need it done as soon as possible," Simpson said. "These county commissioners are on the hook. This is my job."

"And he's doing a great job of it," Stennett observed.

Simpson said he's seen large, threatening wildfires before, fires like the Clear Creek Fire near Salmon in 2000. At the time it was the largest wildfire in the West.

"I've seen fires before," he said. "Coming up and looking at a fire's not the important thing. It's covering the extraordinary costs associated with the fire."




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