Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

FEMA Extends Short Term Housing Help To Wildfire Victims

A home in the Bastrop neighborhood of Tahitian Village that was razed by flames in early September.
Photo by KUT
A home in the Bastrop neighborhood of Tahitian Village that was razed by flames in early September.

Wildfire victims in six counties will be able to get hotel and motel vouchers for an extra 30 days. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has extended its temporary housing assistance program until January 8.  

The six counties are Bastrop, Cass, Marion, Montgomery, Travis and Waller. FEMA says it has handed out vouchers to more than 400 people since starting the program on September 9. People who lost their homes to wildfires are still eligible to apply for disaster assistance from FEMA.

The worst single-year drought in Texas history created tinder dry conditions that helped several Central Texas wildfires spread rapidly over Labor Day weekend. The worst of them was in Bastrop County. It scorched 34,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,600 homes. 

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion-dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on X @KUTnathan.
Related Content