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If you and your family haven't been directly impacted by the devastating fires that have rampaged through Oklahoma over the past couple of months, it is likely that you have smelled the smoke or that you know someone else who has had their home destroyed or property damaged. Since November 1, 2005 over 420,000 acres in Oklahoma were consumed by fires. Governor Henry has been forced to declare a state of emergency for all of Oklahoma's 77 counties due to the extraordinary danger which still persists. It has been a warm, dry and windy last couple of months and as far as the weather goes...it looks like these dangerous conditions could persist into the spring.
There is some good news. On January 10, President George W. Bush signed a Disaster Declaration for Oklahoma making federal assistance available to help fight the wildfires and recover from their damage. The declaration delivers assistance to individuals whose homes and businesses were damaged. The funds will also be available to local and state governments, to include volunteer fire departments that responded to the many wildfires in the following 12 counties: Canadian, Cotton, Garvin, Hughes, Lincoln, Logan, Mayes, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie, Seminole and Stephens. Additional county declarations are likely and should be forthcoming from FEMA.
With this declaration our state will begin receiving additional federal funds and assistance to help stop the wildfires and rebuild from the damage caused by them. Our first responders have been tremendous so far and these funds will ensure they have every resource they need to finish the job. The federal assistance Oklahoma has received thus far has been invaluable in the fight against these wildfires. However, the growing intensity and frequency of these fires, coupled with the depleted resources Oklahoma has expended in assisting with the emergency response for hurricane Katrina, leaves no question in my mind that a timely Emergency Disaster Declaration is the right thing to do for the citizens of Oklahoma.
I want to say thank you to Governor Henry and Senator Inhofe for their persistence on this matter, working together we will continue to make sure that Oklahomans fully recover from these disastrous fires. While the delay in this assistance was unfortunate and frankly inexcusable, I am pleased with the ultimate decision. I believe it arrived only with the continued pressure of Senator Inhofe, Governor Henry and our office. It should be of comfort to Oklahomans that our state government and our federal delegation can accomplish much when we work together.
Currently the Governor's office and Oklahoma Emergency Management officials are going through the disaster declaration line by line to ensure that it includes sufficient resources to meet Oklahoma's needs. Indeed, the original declaration has already been backdated to November 27 to allow for individual assistance to more victims of the continuing outbreak of wildfires. If this amended declaration falls short, I will continue to work with Governor Henry and Senator Inhofe to pursue additional funding.
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