Governor Abbott secures federal aid for wildfire management in Texas

Governor Greg Abbott has announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved Texas' request for Fire Management Assistance Grants to combat the Welder Fire in San Patricio County and the Duke Fire in Bexar County. "The State of Texas and emergency responders continue to work around-the-clock to fight the wildfires in Texas and keep our communities safe," said Governor Abbott. He emphasized that FEMA's grant approval will provide significant financial assistance to manage these fires.

The grants enable Texas to receive 75 percent reimbursement from the federal government for costs related to fighting these fires. Such grants are intended for states and local jurisdictions managing fires on public or private lands that could result in a major disaster.

In recent developments, state emergency responders tackled 41 new wildfire starts, burning over 4,400 acres. Under Governor Abbott's direction, various state resources remain active in supporting local efforts against wildfires. These include more than 250 firefighters from the Texas A&M Forest Service, firefighting aircraft, helicopters from the Texas National Guard, and support personnel from several state departments.

Residents can access wildfire resources via the Texas Disaster Portal at disaster.texas.gov. Those with property damage are encouraged to report it using TDEM’s online damage survey tool available at damage.tdem.texas.gov under "2025 Wildfire Incidents." This helps assess damage and connect Texans with resources but is not a substitute for insurance claims or guaranteed disaster relief.

Governor Abbott continues to ensure all possible resources are deployed to protect communities from wildfires by increasing readiness levels of state operations centers and expanding the state's wildfire disaster declaration to cover more counties.