44 CFR § 204.21 - Fire management assistance declaration criteria.
---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t44/s204.21"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "44 CFR § 204.21 - Fire management assistance declaration criteria."
title_number: 44
title_name: "Emergency Management and Assistance"
section_number: "204.21"
section_name: "Fire management assistance declaration criteria."
chapter_name: "FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY"
subchapter_number: "D"
subchapter_name: "DISASTER ASSISTANCE"
part_number: "204"
part_name: "FIRE MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "42 U.S.C. 5121 through 5207; 6 U.S.C. 101 Department of Homeland Security Delegation 9001.1."
regulatory_source: "66 FR 57347, Nov. 14, 2001, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "204"
---
# 204.21 Fire management assistance declaration criteria.
(a) *Determinations.* FEMA will approve declarations for fire management assistance when the Administrator determines that a fire or fire complex on public or private forest land or grassland threatens such destruction as would constitute a major disaster.
(b) *Evaluation criteria.* FEMA will evaluate the threat posed by a fire or fire complex based on consideration of the following specific criteria:
(1) Threat to lives and improved property, including threats to critical facilities/infrastructure, and critical watershed areas;
(2) Availability of State and local firefighting resources;
(3) High fire danger conditions, as indicated by nationally accepted indices such as the National Fire Danger Ratings System;
(4) Potential major economic impact.
[66 FR 57347, Nov. 14, 2001, as amended at 75 FR 50715, Aug. 17, 2010; 79 FR 63546, Oct. 24, 2014]