Ariz. Governor Asks Feds for Fire Disaster Declarations

Gov. Jan Brewer is asking the U.S. Small Business Administration for wildfire disaster declarations for Cochise and Apache counties.

Letters Brewer sent Wednesday ask the SBA to help residents and businesses harmed because of the Wallow and Monument fires.

An assessment completed last week shows neither county reached damage thresholds required to qualify for Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster assistance.

But the damage may be enough to qualify for help from the SBA. The agency can offer loans of up to $2 million to small businesses to help with payroll and other bills that would otherwise go unpaid due to the wildfires.

Homeowners in Cochise County could get loans of up to $200,000 if the SBA declares a disaster. Apache County didn’t meet minimum damage levels for that assistance.