USDA Assists Farmers, Ranchers, and Communities Affected by Recent Wildfires

The Department of Agriculture Tuesday announced assistance for agricultural producers affected by recent wildfires. The assistance will help eligible farmers and ranchers reestablish their operations. Wildfires have burned more than two million acres, mostly in western states. Nearly 28,000 personnel from the local, state and federal levels are responding to 157 separate incidents, 95 of which are large, uncontained fires. USDA officials say more than 6,000 firefighters from the USDA Forest Service are battling wildfires alongside state and federal partners. Bill Northey, USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, says, “USDA is ready to offer all the assistance we can to the affected farmers, ranchers and communities to help them recover.” When major disasters strike, USDA has an emergency loan program that provides eligible farmers low-interest loans to help them recover from production and physical losses. Farmers and ranchers impacted by wildfires are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more.