(CNN) -- Arizona's top politicians blasted the Obama administration and federal officials over the denial of aid in the wake of the state's deadly wildfire.
The Yarnell Hill blaze killed 19 firefighters, called "hotshots," in late June, when it changed directions and engulfed them.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied the state's request for assistance based on insurance rules, it said in a statement Friday. It determined that not enough uninsured private individuals had become victims to warrant a payout.
FEMA said it is not permitted to "duplicate benefits provided by insurance companies or other federal agencies."
The agency also declined to issue a "major disaster declaration" for affected areas.
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The decision drew criticism from Arizona's two Republican senators, John McCain and Jeff Flake.
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A deadly wildfire leaves behind little but a burned-out car and the remains of a house in a Yarnell, Arizona, neighborhood on Wednesday, July 3. The fire started a week ago near Yarnell, apparently because of lightning strikes. Nineteen firefighters were killed Sunday, June 30, battling the blaze northwest of Phoenix. 
An aerial overview shows the devastation in Yarnell on July 3. Crews have begun making progress on the wildfire, which reportedly was 80% contained by Thursday night, July 4. 
Smoke from the Yarnell Hill Fire is visible from a distance on a road to Yarnell on Monday, July 1. 
Local firefighters embrace July 1 at a Prescott, Arizona, memorial service for the 19 firefighters killed in the Yarnell Hill Fire, northwest of Phoenix. 
A couple embraces during the Prescott memorial service for the fallen fighters on July 1. The elite team members' deaths on Sunday, June 30, marked the deadliest day for firefighters since the 9/11 attacks. 
Members of the community give a standing ovation as local firefighters arrive at the July 1 memorial service at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott. 
Toby Schultz lays flowers on July 1 at the fence of the fire station in Prescott, Arizona, the home base of 19 firefighters who died in the Yarnell Hill Fire. 
Flowers hang on the fence outside the Granite Mountain Hot Shot Crew fire station on July 1. 
Homes burn on Sunday, June 30, in Glenn Ilah, Arizona, near Yarnell. 
A home burns in Yarnell, Arizona, on Sunday, June 30. 
Prescott, Arizona, Fire Chief Dan Fraijo gives a news conference in Prescott confirming that 19 firefighters died while fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30. 
A wildfire destroys homes in the Glenn Ilah area near Yarnell on June 30. 
A wildfire burns homes near Yarnell on June 30. 
Tanker 910 makes a retardant drop on the Yarnell Hill Fire to help protect the Double Bar A Ranch near Peeples Valley on June 30. 
Firefighters move away from the Yarnell Hill Fire, near the town of Yarnell on June 30. 
Photos: Arizona wildfire "We are disappointed that FEMA denied the governor's disaster declaration request for the Yarnell Hill Fire," they said in a joint statement. "It is a shame that FEMA couldn't find it within their mission to help rebuild their homes and lives."
Republican Gov. Jan Brewer directed her criticism directly at the president.
"I am deeply troubled by the Obama administration's decision to deny much-needed recovery assistance in the wake of Arizona's deadliest wildfire," she said in a statement.
In a phone call after the fire, President Barack Obama had pledged support, she said. She felt that he had now backed down.
"With today's denial of the state's request, Arizonans are left questioning what help (the president and vice president) were willing to give," she said.
Vice President Joe Biden spoke at a memorial for the fallen hotshots in July.
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FEMA firefighting aid
After they perished in the flames, FEMA issued a grant to the state to help cover the costs of fighting the blaze while it was still active.
The fire devoured more than 8,000 acres of woodland. But the Yarnell Hill blaze ravaged two communities, wiping out homes and other buildings.
Arizona's governor and two senators said they want to appeal FEMA's decision.
This article is taken from CNN.com
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