Helping Our Communities Stay Safe

PG&E and California Fire Foundation Announce Grantees for Wildfire Safety Funding

The California Fire Foundation (CFF) has awarded a total of $680,000 in wildfire safety grants to 55 local fire departments, fire agencies and community groups. The funding will support purchasing personal protective and specialized equipment for firefighters, defensible space and vegetation management work, fuels and hazards reduction, and fire safety public education and outreach.

The grants are part of a broad Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program (WSPP) that is administered and managed by the CFF. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) supports the program with $1.4 million in charitable funding. The program’s objective is to raise awareness about wildfire safety and bring resources to underserved communities in high fire-threat areas.

The 2021 grantees are listed below. For a 2020 summary of the WSPP, click here.

“Once again, we are experiencing an extremely destructive wildfire season throughout the state that is impacting communities far and wide,” said Rick Martinez, Executive Director of the California Fire Foundation. “Grant funding from the 2021 Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program aims to bring additional resources to fire departments and local organizations to give them extra support to help keep our communities safe.”

Since 2018, 200 fire departments and fire agencies statewide have received funding through the WSPP. Funding targets specific communities identified as having extreme or elevated fire risk as identified by the California Public Utilities Commission High Fire-Threat District map.

“As California’s wildfire risk continues to grow, it will take all of us working together to find solutions to mitigate catastrophic wildfires. We’re grateful to partner with CFF in supporting dozens of fire departments, agencies and community groups to bolster key defenses, including tools and strategies to prevent and contain wildfires, and fire safety education,” said Carla Peterman, PG&E Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs.

The WSPP focuses on two key areas to help keep communities safe:

• A Wildfire Safety Campaign that features fire safety education, developed by CFF, in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Hmong to promote early evacuation during fires. The WSPP has worked hard to overcome language barriers by developing and distributing in-language fire-safety messaging. This campaign includes advertising on radio, television, and digital ads, and outdoor billboards in high fire-threat areas.

• A Grant Program administered by the CFF through an application process. The CFF awards grants to recipient fire departments, agencies and community groups in support of projects and programs focusing on wildfire/disaster prevention, preparedness and/or relief and recovery assistance.

How the Grants Help Communities