Local fire departments could receive reimbursement for fighting wildfires during this year’s drought.

Gov. Robert Bentley on Wednesday announced funds are being made available to volunteer fire departments in Alabama.

The needs-based grant program will be awarded to reimburse departments for costs incurred during their response to wildfires across the state starting Oct. 1, according to a press release from Bentley’s office.

A total of $100,000 is available, however grants up to $2,500 will be awarded based on financial need and departmental budget structure.

“I really appreciate the dedication and sacrifice of the men and women who worked with their local Volunteer Fire Departments to protect their communities during the state’s extreme drought,” Bentley said in a statement. “I have been made aware of some of the expenses the volunteer fire departments incurred battling numerous fires in such a short period of time and I am hopeful the $2,500 grant will help them address some of the VFD’s expenses.”

Derrick Gatlin, president of the board of Limestone County VFDs, said he appreciates the governor’s gesture, but it’s too soon to know how beneficial the grant will be locally.

The government of each individual department must decide if it will seek the grant, he said, and then, they might not be awarded the full $2,500 based on the state’s needs criteria, which haven’t been released yet.

The amount of money seems like a lot at first glance, Gatlin said, but when taking into consideration that there are roughly 1,000 VFDs statewide, that $100,000 total won’t last long.

Personally, Gatlin said, he would hope departments in the state’s hardest hit counties, like DeKalb and Jackson, would take priority in the fund distribution.

“We’ll just take it on a case-by-case basis,” he said.

Those VFDs interested in applying for the grant will need to provide information regarding missions completed to support state wildfire response. Each department will also be required to provide documentation on how reimbursable funds were expended, including copies of receipts.

A rural department typically has few outside fire calls each year, Gatlin said, meaning the equipment used to battle wildfires is not often used and the brush truck units used to reach outside fires are purchased used.

According to the Alabama Forestry Commission, as of Dec. 2, a total of 3,644 wildfires consumed almost 50,000 acres of land in Alabama, with 2,219 of those fires and 29,406 acres occurring since Oct. 1.

Rural departments ended up expending extra fuel and incurring additional maintenance expenses to fight those fires.

“I appreciate the governor’s efforts,” Gatlin said. “The governor recognizes and appreciates what we did and we appreciate his support.”

Alabama Emergency Management Agency will notify the VFDs of the grant opportunity and provide more specifics regarding the application process.

VFDs will need to complete and submit their application to their county EMA office by close of business Jan 5. Limestone County’s EMA office is at 1011 W. Market St. in Athens.