SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — FEMA has announced that the two Spokane County Disaster Recovery Centers opened following the 2023 wildfires are set to close.
The centers located in Medical Lake and Elk will close permanently at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 27. The recovery centers will remain open with normal hours until closing. Both FEMA and SBA registration deadlines are April 20, but the recovery centers are extending the extra week to provide victims with in-person support before recovery support transitions exclusively to phone and online.
FEMA is urging survivors of the Gray and Oregon wildfires to stay in touch by visiting disasterassistance.gov, using the FEMA mobile app, or by calling 800-621-3362.
The physical addresses for the centers are:
- Elk Chattaroy Disaster Outreach Center, Country Church of the Open Bible, 40015 North Collins Road, Elk, WA 99009
- Medical Lake Disaster Outreach Center, Medical Lake City Hall, 124 South Lefevre Street, Medical Lake, WA 99022
The centers which had been open since late February helped victims register for assistance as well as offered opportunities for face-to-face conversations with agencies who answered questions about victims' case.
FEMA Coordinating Officer Duke Davis says of 473 people who've registered so far, they've already made 43 payouts. Those grants can be up to $80,000. His message to people impacted by the fires is to register with them right now, because the window to do so is closing.
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