Feds Designate 2023 Deadly Medical Lake Gray Fire Disaster Area

Last August, between the 18th and 25th, several wildfires tore through Eastern WA, including the Gray Fire near Medical Lake in Spokane County.

Fire torched 86 structures, 240 homes and killed 2 people

The fire, which burned 17 square miles of land, burned 240 homes nd 86 other buildings in and around Medical Lake. 2 deaths were attributed to the fire, including that of 86-year-old Carl Grub. His body was found near an intersection in an affected part of town, and searchers said he died of "thermal" or heat injuries.

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Two lawsuits have been filed over alleged causes of the fire. Now, FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has officially declared it a disaster area. According to Federal officials:

(the declaration) "makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Spokane County. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available to state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and debris removal in Spokane County."

It was one of the worst wildfires to hit Eastern and Northeastern WA in many years.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF