Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency on August 21, 2026, in response to severe wildfires that began the previous day, impacting various jurisdictions across the state. The declaration authorizes $250,000 from the Governor’s Disaster Response and Recovery Fund to support emergency operations.
The wildfires, which started on or about August 20, 2026, have caused significant hardship to citizens and public properties. The affected political subdivisions require supplemental assistance from the state to manage emergency operations and other necessary measures.
The allocated funds will be managed at the discretion of the Director of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management to cover both program and administrative costs associated with the emergency response.