Senators: Federal funding authorized for wildfire recovery

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona’s two U.S. senators say the U.S. Department of Agriculture has agreed to provide $12.8 million in emergency funding to help parts of Arizona recover from three major wildfires. Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly said Tuesday the money comes from funding authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law. The senators say the money was authorized to protect communities, support recovery efforts, and reduce hazardous fuels on federal, state and tribal lands. The Museum Fire burned 2 square miles near Flagstaff in 2019. The Bush Fire burned 302 square miles east of Mesa in 2020. The Telegraph Fire burned 282 square miles near Superior and Miami in 2021.