Colorado gets federal approval for major disaster declaration in Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain fires

Colorado's governor announced Friday that President Donald Trump approved the request for assistance for Colorado's Major Disaster Declaration request for this summer's massive wildfires. The Trump administration approved the request that will help support communities recovering from the Aspen Acres Fire in Pueblo, Custer, and Dolores counties, and Gold Mountain Fire in Ouray County.

The disaster declaration also covers subsequent flooding and debris flows in the aftermath of the fires.  

The Aspen Acres Fire burned more than 100,000 acres in southern Colorado and the Gold Mountain Fire near Ouray in western Colorado burned nearly 40,000 acres.

Gov. Jared Polis requested support from the federal government last month as massive flooding began in the burn areas of the wildfires. 

"Coloradans hit by the Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain Fires have shown incredible strength, but recovering from big disasters requires federal help. Today's approval of Public Assistance will help our communities clear debris and repair damage to public infrastructure. Removing debris from homes and buildings destroyed is the most important step to begin rebuilding and now that work can occur promptly and at no cost to homeowners just as it did after the Marshall Fire. I thank the President for approving Colorado's Public Assistance request to provide help for our communities to recover and rebuild, and FEMA for working with the state as we submitted our application. We appreciate the ongoing consideration of Colorado's Individual Assistance request, and hope that will also be approved soon. I also thank our entire bipartisan congressional delegation, local leaders, elected officials, first responders, utility providers, business owners, nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and disaster survivors who supported this request. Colorado made a strong bipartisan case for this declaration, and I am deeply appreciative of everyone who has worked together on behalf of these affected communities to help Coloradans in our time of need," said Polis in a statement.

The funding approval allows the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to work closely with FEMA, local governments, and affected communities to implement PA for impacted communities. 

The governor's office said Colorado's Individual Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Funding requests are still under review.