Austin News

Governor Greg Abbott announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved Texas's request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant to address the Pauline Road Fire in San Jacinto and Montgomery counties.

"Texas continues to provide all necessary resources to local officials and firefighters currently battling the Pauline Road Fire in San Jacinto and Montgomery counties," said Governor Abbott. "This crucial grant will help Texas fight this wildfire and protect the safety and well-being of Texans. I encourage Texans in San Jacinto and Montgomery counties to heed the guidance of local officials and take the necessary precautions to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Texas remains engaged alongside our federal, state, and local partners to ensure our brave firefighters have the resources they need to protect our fellow Texans."

The grant approval enables Texas to receive 75 percent reimbursement from the federal government for costs related to fighting the fire. These grants are provided for managing fires on forests or grasslands that could lead to major disasters.

In response, various state emergency resources are mobilized under Governor Abbott's direction. The Texas A&M Forest Service is coordinating firefighting efforts with personnel, equipment, and aircraft. The Texas Division of Emergency Management is supporting resource deployment across the state with its teams. The Texas National Guard is deploying helicopters with firefighting capabilities.

Additional support includes medical services from the Texas Department of State Health Services, patrols by Texas Highway Patrol Troopers, assistance from game wardens and park police, urban search teams from Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, agricultural support from several agencies, road monitoring by transportation personnel, utility coordination by public commissions, environmental quality assessments, human services information dissemination, technology infrastructure monitoring by relevant departments.

Texans affected by wildfires can find resources at disaster.texas.gov or report damage through TDEM’s online survey tool at damage.tdem.texas.gov. Governor Abbott advises residents to remain vigilant against wildfires by creating emergency plans and avoiding spark-inducing activities.

Governor Abbott continues efforts to secure resources for communities impacted by wildfires. Recent actions include obtaining approvals for various fire management grants, activating additional emergency response resources due to critical wildfire danger conditions, requesting disaster declarations following severe storms in North Texas, increasing readiness levels at emergency operations centers statewide.