Washington Governor Bob Ferguson formally submitted a request to the White House on September 28, 2026, seeking a federal Major Disaster Declaration to unlock an estimated $128.9 million in emergency relief following destructive late-summer wildfires across Eastern Washington.
County emergency management directors spent most of September verifying residency records, utility connections, and property tax assessments to establish that destroyed structures served as primary homes rather than seasonal cabins or accessory buildings.
Without this approval, local charitable coalitions and community disaster foundations will bear the full financial brunt of winter temporary housing subsidies once existing thirty-day hotel vouchers expire.
The proposed legislation includes targeted state sales tax exemptions on construction materials purchased by property owners rebuilding primary residences lost to declared wildfire events.
Washington officials recall the political friction surrounding the 2020 Malden wildfire disaster declaration, which lingered without federal approval for five months following disputes over federal forestry policy and state leadership.
Governor Bob Ferguson formally requests a federal Major Disaster Declaration from the White House, seeking $128.9 million in FEMA Individual and Public Assistance after wildfires destroyed 649 homes.