Where to Get Information

f your property is threatened by or has been burned by a wildﬁre large enough that a ﬁre camp has been established, you can obtain information and updates on ﬁreﬁghting efforts from the Information Ofﬁcer at the ﬁre camp. Incident Management Teams may host public meetings to help keep affected residents property. Both the BAER and NRCS assessments are large-scale assessments, designed to quickly evaluate conditions and identify signiﬁcant risks. Immediate post-ﬁre hazards include large areas of bare soil which are susceptible to erosion, particularly on steep slopes, and standing snags.

Eroded material can ﬁll streams and culverts, and debris ﬂows can damage property and structures. If the NRCS determines through its assessment that individual private properties are at risk, agency staff will contact the landowners and provide information about the risks and suggestions for methods to mitigate risks.

Where to Get Help

informed, and law enforcement personnel may also designate a point of contact for information and updates. Information about the majority of wildﬁres burning at any time in the United States, including the one nearest you, may be obtained at the national incident information website, www.inciweb.org.

he rest of this guide describes the programs and services provided by the major agencies and organizations that offer assistance to help private landowners recover from damage caused by a wildﬁre. Several agencies and organizations, including the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Forestry Division, Conservation Districts, and Resource Conservation

AFTER THE FIRE

What to Expect

hat happens after a ﬁre depends on factors including the size and severity of the ﬁre, and whether the burned area includes federally-managed lands. If federally-managed lands were burned and the ﬁre was large enough (generally over 200 acres) or if signiﬁcant threats exist as and Development Areas can help direct landowners to sources of assistance.

In the case of large wildﬁres that affect many landowners, there may be public meetings where agency personnel provide information on services and programs available. Please be aware that programs and funding levels can change from year to year, and that assistance may not always be available. While this guide can serve as a starting point, you should contact the agencies directly to determine if assistance is available and whether you meet eligibility requirements. Some forms of assistance are available only to residents of a Presidentially-declared disaster area. The availability of assistance also depends on factors such as the size of a wildﬁre and the nature of the damage to your property.

a result of a smaller ﬁre, the federal government normally mobilizes a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team to assess post-ﬁre threats, values at risk, and needs for emergency stabilization treatments on federally-managed lands.

If signiﬁcant threats to private lands exist, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) carries out a similar assessment on private lands, with a focus on potential threats to life and

You may also ﬁnd that assistance is provided by community volunteers and local organizations. Local volunteers and organizations can often mobilize quickly to provide services such as moving and temporarily sheltering livestock and other animals, providing household supplies to ﬁre victims, and meeting other needs not met by the major agencies and organizations.

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American Red Cross

The American Red Cross provides disaster relief focused on meeting the emergency needs of individuals and families. The Red Cross opens shelters for those displaced by a disaster, provides meals and snacks to families and to emergency workers in affected areas, and sets ups registration and information sites. After a disaster, trained Red Cross interviewers meet with families to determine their needs. Assistance may include providing the means to help pay for groceries, new clothes, rent, emergency home repairs, transportation, medicines, medical supplies, and emergency medical treatment. Red Cross nurses deliver ﬁrst aid and attend to other health-related matters.

Family members from outside the disaster area can call their local Red Cross chapter and request assistance in determining the well-being of family members in the disaster area. The Red Cross can also help link disaster victims to other sources of assistance. Red Cross assistance is given free of charge. Individuals and families in need of assistance should contact their local Red Cross ofﬁce or call the Montana Chapter at (406) 727-2212 or (800) ARC-MONT.

Local Community Organizations and Volunteer Groups

Local community organizations and volunteer groups may also offer disaster relief services, typically seeking to meet needs not covered by other agencies and organizations. Because each community and disaster is different, it is difﬁcult to say in advance just what role local groups will play. Services provided by local groups and organizations are often coordinated through County Disaster or Emergency Services Ofﬁces.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

FEMA’s assistance programs are available only to residents of a Presidentially-declared disaster area. FEMA’s Assistance for Individuals and Households may include cash grants of up to $26,200 for temporary housing, home repair or replacement, and other disaster-related needs. When you apply for assistance, an inspector will call to schedule an appointment to inspect your property within a few days. If assistance is approved, you will receive a housing assistance check within 7 to 10 days of the inspector’s visit. In the case of large wildﬁres that affect many private property owners, FEMA may establish a Disaster Recovery Center where more information about assistance programs can be obtained. To apply for assistance, call FEMA at (800) 621-3362. Information about FEMA may also be found at the agency’s website, www.fema.gov.

Small Business Administration (SBA)

The SBA offers assistance not only to small businesses, but to any eligible home owner, property owner, or renter in a declared disaster area. The disaster declaration may be either Presidential or a SBA administrative declaration. Descriptions of the two types of declarations may be found at the SBA’s website.

The SBA offers Home and Personal Property Disaster Loans. Personal property loans for replacement of clothing, furniture, automobiles, etc., destroyed or damaged during a disaster are available up to $40,000. Loans of up to $200,000 are available to return a primary residence to its pre-disaster condition. SBA loans are not intended for immediate emergency relief, but rather to help in long-term rebuilding and repair. Processing of a SBA loan application can take up to several weeks. More information about SBA loans may be found at the SBA’s website, www.sba.gov, or obtained from the Montana District Ofﬁce of the SBA in Helena at (406) 441-1081.

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Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) Forestry Division

Service Foresters from the Montana DNRC’s Forestry Division provide technical assistance to private landowners upon request. Service Foresters can conduct post-ﬁre assessments for individual landowners and help them develop plans to mitigate impacts from a wildﬁre and to promote rehabilitation and recovery of their forests. Depending on the availability of funding, DNRC Forestry may also be able to offer some ﬁnancial assistance through cost-share programs. Service Foresters also try to assist landowners in identifying sources of technical and ﬁnancial assistance available from other agencies and organizations, and provide referrals to private forestry consultants who can help carry out the work. DNRC Forestry also operates the Montana Conservation Seedling Nursery, where landowners can purchase tree seedlings for post-ﬁre rehabilitation and other conservation purposes. A listing of DNRC Forestry Assistance information, ﬁeld ofﬁces, Nursery contacts, and a personnel directory is available on DNRC Forestry’s website, www.dnrc.mt.gov/ forestry or by calling (406) 542-4300.

Montana Association of Conservation Districts

The Montana Association of Conservation Districts provides sponsorship for technical and ﬁnancial assistance through cost-share programs from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and the Natural Resources Conservation Service to assist private landowners who have been affected by wildﬁre. Cost-share programs address soil erosion and watershed concerns. For further information, please contact your local Conservation District or the Montana Association of Conservation Districts at (406) 443-5711, or e-mail mail@macdnet.org.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

The NRCS conducts assessments of post-ﬁre hazards, values at risk, and needs for emergency stabilization treatments on private lands after large wildﬁres (more than 300 acres) or if signiﬁcant threats exist as a result of a smaller ﬁre. If post-ﬁre hazards present a risk to private property owners, the NRCS will contact the property owners to and land restoration practices. Range faculty are located on the MSU campus in Bozeman and provide services and publications on range restoration, species preferences, and alternative livestock feeds after a wildﬁre. MSU Extension’s website, http://extn.msu.montana.edu, includes a publications list as well as a personnel directory for state and county ofﬁce ﬁeld staff. For more information, contact your county extension ofﬁce

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A7

A–Forest Planning 7–Wildﬁ re Rehabilitation

Resource Conservation and Development Areas (RC&Ds)

Eight RC&Ds in Montana offer unique combinations of facilitation and coordination skills and nonproﬁt assistance that can assist emergency responders during a wildﬁre and private landowners in ﬁre recovery efforts. RC&Ds can help county ofﬁcials coordinate evacuations, movement of livestock, public meetings, ﬁrewise prevention work, and local volunteers during the wildﬁre. During recovery efforts, RC&Ds can contact and facilitate discussion among government and private entities and landowners, accept tax deductible donations, and apply for and manage grants that may assist in recovery efforts. Each RC&D is a nonproﬁt entity that serves three or more counties. To see which RC&D covers your area, refer to the Montana RC&D association website, www.mrcda.org.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

When BLM lands are impacted by wildﬁre, the agency’s Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team is available to assist local ofﬁces and areas in assessing damage. Resource specialists then develop a cost-effective BAER Plan/Report for each ﬁre that lists impacts and damages to resources, provides project speciﬁcations, and requests funding to mitigate damage within the area of approved plans. BLM’s Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation program provides technical and ﬁnancial support through approved plans. Emergency Stabilization funds are available immediately for projects that mitigate imminent life-threatening hazards. Allowable treatments include soil and slope stabilization, stream channel stabilization, hazard tree removal, and repair or placement of infrastructure such as culverts. Rehabilitation funds for projects such as fence reconstruction and noxious weed control are usually available later. The Department of Interior (DOI) and BLM assist landowners in creating defensible space to reduce the potential impacts of wildﬁre. BLM and the DOI also assist in funding some Rural Fire District activities and equipment through provisions of the National Fire Plan. For more information or assistance, contact a BLM BAER representative at your local BLM ofﬁce or call the Montana State Ofﬁce at (406) 896-5029.

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Residents of a Presidentially-declared disaster area may contact FEMA for crisis counseling services by calling (800) 621-3362.

American Red Cross

Disaster mental health services workers offer information and help educate people about the emotional impacts of disasters and how to cope with them.

County Public Health Nurses

County Public Health Nurses can provide referrals to mental health services.

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Persons with disabiliConservation Forestry Division, 2705 Spurgin Road, Missoula, MT 59804-3199. Phone (406) 542-4300 or fax (406) 542-4217. 3,000 copies of this document were published at an estimated cost of $0.68 per copy. The total cost of $2,040 includes $2,040 for printing and $0 for distribution.

Night fire photo on front cover by Karen Wattenmaker.

Inc.

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