Salem, OR – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden demanded urgent answers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in response to the agency’s denial of Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) for two wildfires in Oregon: the East Evans Creek Fire and Rowe Creek Fire Complex.
Both fires were under Level 3 “Go Now” Evacuation at the time of application, and the Rowe Creek Fire Complex was the largest in the nation. The current fire situation in Oregon remains the worst in the nation.
“FEMA’s decision to deny these FMAGs is a significant departure from FEMA’s historical criteria and agency guidance,” wrote the Senators. “According to State officials, FEMA’s criteria for an FMAG has been, in part, that 150 primary residences must be in immediate threat of wildfire, gauged often as Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation status. In recent years, State officials have seen an increase to over 200 primary residences as a threshold—which the East Evans Creek Fire and the Rowe Creek Fire Complex had still surpassed.”
The State of Oregon requested financial assistance from FEMA through FMAGs, which help cover costs relating to emergencies and firefighting activities for fires that have the potential to become major disasters. FEMA’s decision to deny these specific FMAGs comes as Oregon faces an increasingly dangerous fire season—with at least 86 active fires burning over 1 million acres and over 33,000 Oregonians under evacuation orders as of July 27, 2026.
“FEMA has also indicated that the East Evans Creek Fire and the Rowe Creek Fire Complex were denied an FMAG because they did not meet the criteria for a major disaster declaration,” the Senators continued. “This is a major shift in administrative policy and contrary to Federal regulation and FEMA’s own policy manual, which states that an FMAG designation is warranted when a fire ‘threatens such destruction as would constitute a major disaster.’ This program is meant to provide resources to fires that have the potential to become major disasters if left unchecked. Resources should not—and are not supposed to be—withheld until a fire becomes so destructive as to receive a major disaster declaration.”
Merkley and Wyden highlighted how FEMA’s inconsistent approval of FMAGs threatens to cause disruptions for first responders and at-risk communities. The Senators pressed FEMA for clear answers on its decision-making and criteria for FMAGs and stand ready to assist in ensuring Oregon has the necessary federal resources to respond to wildfires and keep communities across the state safe.
“We want to stress that this is not the time for creating new or different criteria for accessing this critical funding to support initial attack. As you know, Oregon is strained for resources, and the State is still at the beginning of its wildfire season. We urge the agency to provide clarity and maintain consistency with prior years’ approval process,” the Senators directed.
Full text of the letter can be found by clicking here and follows below:
Dear Mr. Fenton and Mr. Maykovich,
We write to express deep concern over the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s handling of the Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) program in light of recent events. The State of Oregon is currently in a dire wildfire situation—the worst in the nation—with 86 active fires, as of July 27th, burning over 1 million acres with over 33,000 Oregonians under some level of evacuation and widespread impacts to critical infrastructure, including water and power, affecting alert and warning and 911 capabilities.
While we appreciate FEMA’s approval of FMAGs for select recent fires, including the Lower Dry Creek Fire, Akawa Butte Fire, and Grasshopper Fire, we are deeply concerned by the agency’s denial of FMAGs for the East Evans Creek Fire and Rowe Creek Fire Complex, which at the time of application was the largest fire in the country.
In the case of the East Evans Creek Fire, the State reported that the fire had reached nearly 16,000 acres with over 230 homes at a Level 3 “Go Now” Evacuation and was denied by FEMA on July 22, 2026. The fire was also threatening county, state, and federal roads and bridges, radio and cell towers, gas and private electric utilities, campgrounds, trails, retail businesses, irrigation infrastructure, and agricultural operations.
The Rowe Creek Fire Complex was denied an FMAG under similarly severe circumstances with over 401 people at a Level 3 “Go Now” Evacuation on July 24, 2026. The fire was also threatening private electrical cooperatives, public safety radio, private commercial radio, and transmission lines. Since that denial, the fire has surpassed 200,000 acres and the State is preparing for the Complex to merge with the nearby Brewer Fire.
FEMA’s decision to deny these FMAGs is a significant departure from FEMA’s historical criteria and agency guidance. According to State officials, FEMA’s criteria for an FMAG has been, in part, that 150 primary residences must be in immediate threat of wildfire, gauged often as Level 3 “Go Now” Evacuation status. In recent years, State officials have seen an increase to over 200 primary residences as a threshold—which the East Evans Creek Fire and the Rowe Creek Fire Complex had still surpassed.
FEMA has also indicated that the East Evans Creek Fire and the Rowe Creek Fire Complex were denied an FMAG because they did not meet the criteria for a major disaster declaration. This is a major shift in administrative policy and contrary to Federal regulation and FEMA’s own policy manual, which states that an FMAG designation is warranted when a fire “threatens such destruction as would constitute a major disaster.” This program is meant to provide resources to fires that have the potential to become major disasters if left unchecked. Resources should not—and are not supposed to be—withheld until a fire becomes so destructive as to receive a major disaster declaration.
Inconsistent criteria for the approval of FMAGs is creating unnecessary confusion for emergency responders. For this reason, we request further information on FEMA’s decision-making and criteria for FMAG approvals and denials. Please provide a response to the following no later than August 10, 2026:
- Pursuant to 44 CFR 204.21, what criteria is being used to determine a fire’s eligibility for an FMAG? Please include all quantitative metrics.
a. Explain how the East Evans Creek Fire and Rowe Creek Complex Fire did not meet each of these criteria.
- Who at the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA is involved in determining an FMAG designation, and what guidance has been issued to the officials involved in determining an FMAG designation? Please provide copies of all relevant guidance, including informal communications and official documents.
- Which FMAG eligibility criteria changed from 2025 to 2026? How were these changes developed and who was consulted prior to implementing them?
- What data, in addition to the state-provided data, is FEMA relying on to make their determination?
- Broken down by state, how many FMAGs have been approved and denied per year in the past 10 years?
We want to stress that this is not the time for creating new or different criteria for accessing this critical funding to support initial attack. As you know, Oregon is strained for resources, and the State is still at the beginning of its wildfire season. We urge the agency to provide clarity and maintain consistency with prior years’ approval process.
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