THE FOLLOW UP
STATEMENT

Interior awarded $5.08 million to strengthen local governments' wildfire response.

True

Evidence from credible sources supports the statement as accurate. Learn more in Methodology.

Interesting: 0/0 • Support: 0/0Log in to vote
funding

The Department of the Interior has disbursed/awarded $5.08 million for local wildfire response.

Source summary
The Department of the Interior awarded $5.08 million through its Slip-on Tanker Pilot Program to 97 local emergency response agencies across 26 states to expand wildfire response capacity. Grants (ranging from $10,000 to $500,000) enable small, remote departments serving communities of 50,000 or fewer to buy slip-on tanker units that convert existing vehicles into wildland fire engines. Recipients were selected based on wildfire risk using the Wildfire Risk to Communities tool; a new grant round will open in early 2026.
View original article →
Latest fact check

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s own press materials state that on January 6, 2026, the Interior Department’s Office of Wildland Fire announced “the award of $5.08 million in funding to strengthen local governments’ wildfire response” through the Slip‑on Tanker Pilot Program. This is an official government release describing the purpose of the funds as bolstering local governments’ wildfire response capacity, matching the claim.

The verdict is True because Interior’s official documentation explicitly cites a $5.08 million award whose stated purpose is to strengthen local governments’ wildfire response.

Sources

Timeline

  1. Update · Jan 07, 2026, 01:13 AMTrue
    The U.S. Department of the Interior’s own press materials state that on January 6, 2026, the Interior Department’s Office of Wildland Fire announced “the award of $5.08 million in funding to strengthen local governments’ wildfire response” through the Slip‑on Tanker Pilot Program. This is an official government release describing the purpose of the funds as bolstering local governments’ wildfire response capacity, matching the claim. The verdict is True because Interior’s official documentation explicitly cites a $5.08 million award whose stated purpose is to strengthen local governments’ wildfire response.
  2. Original article · Jan 06, 2026
    View article
Back to Countdowns

Comments

Only logged-in users can comment.
Loading…