Assistance for evacuees of Wallow Fire now available

State, County Open Individual Assistance Center in Eagar

Location Provided for Arizonans with Unmet Needs To Get Information, Find Assistance

PHOENIX—The Wallow Fire is the largest wildfire in the State of Arizona ’s history; it forced the evacuation of numerous White Mountain communities and is blamed for burning over 487,000 acres of federal, state and private lands.

Unfortunately, some evacuees are reentering familiar neighborhoods only to find disconcerting scenes of destroyed and fire-damaged homes and property. These same folks are consequently left wondering where to turn to for help with unmet needs.

The Arizona Division of Emergency Management (ADEM), at the request of Apache County , is responding by opening an Individual Assistance Service Center (IASC) in Eagar. Its mission—to help the un- and underinsured who lost primary residences or personal property due to the Wallow Fire.

"The state is committed to helping people impacted by the Wallow Fire return to their normal lives," said Assistant Director of Recovery Wendy Smith-Reeve. "The assistance center offers a place for residents to begin to find solutions to their personal and family recovery."

The IASC opens at 10 a.m. tomorrow, June 18, at Round Valley Public Library, 179 S. Main St. , in Eagar. The Center will serve as a centralized location for Arizonans in all evacuated communities, including Alpine, Eagar, Greer, Nutrioso and Springerville, to find information that will aid their personal recovery from the fire. The IASC will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice.

Representatives of Apache County , ADEM, the state departments of housing and insurance, and members of the Arizona Volunteer Agencies Active in Disaster (VOAD) will be available to answer questions, offer spiritual support and make referrals. 

Visitors to the IASC are asked to bring identification and to be prepared to describe their unmet need. Unmet needs are those needs not covered by your homeowner insurance policy. After any disaster, the first thing you want to do is contact your insurance company to see what is covered under your policy.

Visit the Arizona Emergency Information Network (AzEIN) website at www.AzEIN.gov for real-time emergency updates, preparedness and hazard information, and multimedia resources.