coloradopolitics.com · Marissa Ventrelli · September 4, 2026
Colorado secures FEMA support for wildfire, flooding and mudslide recovery - Colorado Politics
# Colorado secures FEMA support for wildfire, flooding and mudslide recovery
By Marissa Ventrelli 09/04/2026 | updated 1 hour ago
'This I will defend:' Volunteer firefighters with the Southern Colorado Interagency Wildland Fire Team, including Amanda Wood (far left), work on "prep and hold" structure protection during the Aspen Acres fire, June 30 and July 1. Photo courtesy of Amanda Wood.
Colorado’s request for federal public assistance to help communities devastated by the Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain Fires was approved Friday by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a decision that followed weeks of pressure from state leaders and local officials urging the administration to act.
FEMA did not announce how much the state would receive, but confirmed that federal assistance was now available to support recovery efforts in areas damaged by the wildfires, flooding and mudslides.
Gov. Jared Polis, who submitted the disaster declaration request to the Trump administration and FEMA on Aug. 23, said the approval would bring needed relief to Pueblo, Custer and Ouray counties.
“The Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain Fires destroyed over 300 homes, damaged critical infrastructure and disrupted the livelihoods of Coloradans across three counties,” Polis said. “Colorado has committed significant resources to this response, but the scale of this disaster requires a strong partnership among federal, state and local governments for a successful recovery.”
U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper said communities across the burn scars had been waiting anxiously for federal help. “From Ridgway and Rye to Beulah and Ouray, we’re hearing how the Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain fires and devastating flooding have forever altered lives and livelihoods,” he said.
The approval followed a surge of support from local leaders. On Thursday, the state submitted more than 170 letters from elected officials, nonprofit groups, business owners and residents describing destroyed homes, damaged water systems and the long road to recovery. Many emphasized that federal assistance would be essential for rebuilding.
FEMA announced the approval the next day, granting public assistance while individual assistance and hazard mitigation funding remained under review.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, of Colorado’s 3 rd Congressional District, whose district includes many of the affected communities, called the decision an “important step forward.”
“This assistance will help our counties and communities clear debris, repair damaged infrastructure and begin the long process of rebuilding,” Hurd said. “Families lost homes and livelihoods in these fires, and Individual Assistance and Hazard Mitigation funding remain under review. I will continue working with the administration and our state and local partners to get those requests across the finish line.”
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet said the declaration would help counties rebuild after a summer of destruction. “This funding will help Ouray, Dolores, Pueblo and Custer counties rebuild after wildfires burned more than 140,000 acres, destroying critical infrastructure, water supplies and hundreds of homes and structures,” he said.
Action Colorado, a rural advocacy group, also praised the approval. CEO Sara Espinoza Blackhurst said communities had rallied to make the case for federal help. “There is still a tremendous amount of work ahead, and we will continue advocating for approval of Individual Assistance for the families who have lost so much. But today, recovery took an important step forward,” she said.
The fires began in late June and burned more than 140,000 acres combined. By late August, the Aspen Acres Fire was 82% contained and the Gold Mountain Fire was 92% contained.
Heavy rainfall in July and August triggered repeated flooding and debris flows, killing one resident near the Aspen Acres burn scar and repeatedly closing U.S. Highway 440 between Ouray, Ridgway and Silverton, cutting off communities during peak tourism season.
Polis’ request sought three forms of FEMA support: individual assistance for families in Pueblo and Custer counties; public assistance for local governments, utilities and nonprofits in Pueblo, Custer and Ouray counties; and hazard Mitigation grant funding to reduce future disaster impacts.
Colorado’s request came amid longstanding tension between the state and the Trump administration over federal funding. According to the Office of Federal Funds and Strategic Initiatives, the administration had targeted more than $2.5 billion in Colorado’s federal funding through freezes, attempted cancellations and clawbacks since Trump was sworn into his nonconsecutive term.
According to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, the state has recovered about $1.21 billion through court orders.
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