Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jun 27

Trump Denies Colorado's $27 Million Lee Fire Aid Request After 137,800-Acre Blaze

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jun 27

Trump Denies Colorado's $27 Million Lee Fire Aid Request After 137,800-Acre Blaze

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 27

$27 million in requested federal disaster aid for Colorado's Lee wildfire was denied by President Trump, leaving Rio Blanco County and local utilities without expected FEMA support nine months after the fire.
137,800 acres burned in the August-September blaze, Colorado's fifth-largest wildfire, with White River Electric crews still replacing charred poles and restringing lines across rugged terrain.
Governor Jared Polis sought a major disaster declaration to unlock FEMA money after a bipartisan group of state lawmakers backed the damage estimate, much of it tied to utility repairs.
Historically low snowpack and drought across the West are sharpening the dispute, as Colorado heads into another potentially severe fire season while recovery from last year's blaze remains unfinished.

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As Colorado faces a record drought, can it rebuild from last year's megafire before the next one hits?

With federal firefighting staff declining, who will be left to battle the West's worsening megafires?

If wildfire prevention is cheaper than recovery, why does funding for at-risk communities face such hurdles?

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