Trump denies Colorado wildfire aid after $27 million in damage

The Trump administration upheld Colorado’s denial of major disaster aid on April 14, leaving Rio Blanco County and nearby communities without federal help to rebuild after the Elk and Lee fires and the flooding that followed. Gov. Jared Polis had first asked for the declarations on Sept. 26, 2025, seeking public assistance for debris cleanup and infrastructure repairs, plus mitigation money to rebuild more resiliently.

Lightning sparked the Elk and Lee fires near Meeker on Aug. 2, 2025, and the blazes spread across western Colorado. FEMA authorized Fire Management Assistance Grants on Aug. 7 to help fight the fires, but those grants did not cover the longer-term recovery costs that county governments and homeowners faced after the flames moved on. FEMA verified more than $27 million in fire damage and more than $13 million in flood damage, including damage to at least 90 homes in La Plata, Archuleta and Mineral counties.

It was the first time in 35 years that Colorado had been turned down for a major disaster declaration. Colorado had spent more than $57.5 million on natural-disaster response since July 2024, a bill that kept growing as recovery shifted from emergency response to rebuilding roads, homes and public systems.

Colorado’s entire congressional delegation, Democrats and Republicans alike, signed a bipartisan letter backing Polis’s appeal. Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd, whose district includes western and southern Colorado, argued the region had long supported Trump and wanted FEMA criteria applied consistently. Polis, along with Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, accused Trump of using disaster aid as a political tool, while the White House maintained the administration was applying FEMA criteria carefully and efficiently. FEMA acting administrator Karen S. Evans attributed the denial to a thorough review.

Damage to electric transmission lines serving oil and gas operations in the Piceance Basin hit a part of the state tied to about 2% to 5% of U.S. daily natural gas consumption.