Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders Declares State of Emergency and Mobilizes Wildfire Defense Funds

LITTLE ROCK, AR — Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a formal Proclamation declaring a State of Emergency in response to escalating wildfire conditions across Western and Southern Arkansas, authorizing immediate funding deployments from the Governor’s Disaster Response and Recovery Fund.

Mobilizing Aerial Tankers and Forestry Strike Teams

The emergency declaration unlocks $250,000 in immediate state contingency reserves to support the Arkansas Forestry Division, deploying bulldozer containment plows and single-engine air tankers (SEATs) to battle fast-spreading timber fires fueled by severe late-summer drought conditions in Scott, Yell, and Pike counties. The order temporarily lifts commercial motor vehicle weight restrictions for equipment haulers transporting firefighting equipment and hay feed for livestock.

Governor Sanders commended first responders and volunteer fire departments for protecting rural homes, urging citizens across all 75 counties to strictly adhere to municipal burn bans.

County Judges and Rural Fire Department Support

County judges across the Ouachita Mountains praised the state emergency declaration, noting that rural volunteer fire departments had exhausted operating overtime reserves.

Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) officials established a centralized logistics operations command in Hot Springs.

Proclamation Enforcement

The State of Emergency remains in active legal force for 60 days through October 23, 2026.