More than $500,000 has been approved for volunteer fire departments in counties facing increased wildfire threats from millions of tons of timber and other debris that remains scattered across the Panhandle, nine months after Hurricane Michael made landfall in the region.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried announced Friday that the Florida Forest Service had already paid out more than $87,000 in grants, with the latest awards going to 35 applicants.
The announcement came a day after Fried visited Bay County and met with residents who were affected by the hurricane, which weather officials earlier this year upgraded to a Category 5 storm.