Inciweb

Smoke rises from the Mescal Fire on June 6, 2021.

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management is accepting grant applications for landowners whose property was damaged during this summer’s wildfire season.

House Bill 2001, the emergency funding passed during the state legislature’s special wildfire session in June, includes $10 million to repair infrastructure for public and private landowners.

Tiffany Davila with the Department of Forestry and Fire Management says areas in Gila County have already applied for other grant money available in HB 2001, and will most likely apply for repair funding.

“They’ve already been a big component of the post-fire flooding mitigation. I think we’ve already approved and awarded 75 applications for Gila County for the flood mitigation assistance,” said Davila.

Damage done by the Mescal Fire in certain areas of Gila County partially prompted June’s emergency legislative session.

Davila says the $100 million from the Legislature also is contributing to wildfire mitigation costs, the Healthy Forest Initiative, which treats forests with preventative measures, and improved equipment for the forestry agency.