Public Safety · Nevada
FEMA will reimburse Nevada more than $5.4 million that state and county agencies spent fighting the 2024 Davis Fire
The federal money covers 75% of what the Nevada Division of Forestry, Washoe County and the Truckee Meadows Water Authority spent on the Northern Nevada wildfire, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto's office said Monday.
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What happened
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will pay Nevada back more than $5.4 million in state and county money spent battling the Davis Fire, the Las Vegas Sun reported. The announcement came Monday morning from the office of U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.
The reimbursement is tied to a 2024 wildfire in Northern Nevada. According to the Sun, the fire burned nearly 6,000 acres, destroyed 13 residential structures and cost millions of dollars to suppress.
Where the money goes
The federal payment covers 75% of what three public agencies spent on the firefight, the Sun reported. Those agencies are the Nevada Division of Forestry, Washoe County and the Truckee Meadows Water Authority. Cortez Masto's office released the breakdown for each one.
Nevada Division of Forestry
The state forestry division is set to receive the largest share, about $4.86 million, according to the senator's office. That amount makes up most of the total reimbursement announced Monday.
Washoe County
Washoe County will get about $371,035, her office said. The payment reflects county money that went toward fighting the fire, as described in the Sun's report on the announcement.
Truckee Meadows Water Authority
The water authority is due about $167,054, according to Cortez Masto's office. It is the smallest of the three payments the office listed.
Why the reimbursement matters
Cortez Masto's office said she pushed for the funding so that firefighting costs would be returned to Nevada. Her office said the repayment would also let the state continue its fire suppression and prevention work. More coverage of emergency response in the state is available in our public safety section.
In a statement reported by the Sun, Cortez Masto credited the state's wildland firefighters and National Guard members for the outcome of the fire. She said "no lives were lost in the Davis Fire and thousands of homes were saved."
She also pointed to the financial toll on public budgets. "But fighting a wildfire of that scale had a high cost for our state," Cortez Masto said in the statement.
How the cost is shared
The reimbursement does not cover the full amount the agencies spent. The Sun reported that the FEMA money pays for 75% of their firefighting costs on the Davis Fire.
Key figures at a glance
- Total FEMA reimbursement: more than $5.4 million
- Share of agency costs covered: 75%
- Nevada Division of Forestry: about $4.86 million
- Washoe County: about $371,035
- Truckee Meadows Water Authority: about $167,054
- Fire size: nearly 6,000 acres, with 13 residential structures destroyed
What to watch next
- Delivery of the reimbursement, which Cortez Masto's office said FEMA will pay to the Nevada Division of Forestry, Washoe County and the Truckee Meadows Water Authority.
- How the state applies the returned money to its fire suppression and prevention work, which the senator's office cited as a reason for seeking the funds.
