CAL Fire Contributes Millions to Wildfire Prevention

Lee_Mortier a resident of Mill Villa went to the top of the park to take this photo of the Washington Fire Aug 26

Sacramento, CA – Mother Lode counties will share nearly $8 million in CAL Fire grants with wildfire-threatened communities to increase the protection of people, structures, and communities.

As part of the state’s strategy to prepare properties and communities against the devastating impacts of wildfires, CAL Fire announced nearly $118 million in funding for 144 local wildfire prevention projects across the state.

“Drought conditions have once again taken hold of California and are already contributing to another year of early fire activity,” said Joe Tyler, CAL FIRE Director, and Fire Chief. “This funding is a critical part of our overall wildfire strategy.”

The grants target local organizations, like fire safe councils, to implement activities that address the hazards of wildfire and reduce wildfire risk to communities. Funded activities include hazardous fuel reduction, wildfire prevention planning, and wildfire prevention education.

In the Mother Lode, Calaveras County walked away with the lion’s share of the prize, with ten projects in the areas of West Point, Mokelumne Hill, Murphys and Arnold capturing nearly $4 million in state dollars. Tuolumne County came in second with four projects totaling $1,098,959. Mariposa County was next with three grants adding up to nearly $2 million and Amador with one receiving more than $725,000.

“These 144 local wildfire prevention projects, along with the 105 projects we just funded in September 2021, will significantly increase California communities’ preparedness towards wildfires,” said Chief Daniel Berlant, CAL FIRE Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation.

The grants are part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Wildfire Resilience Initiative, investing $1.5 billion in wildfire resilience. In addition to this latest round of funding, it has launched 588 projects to date. To view all the local projects and their funding amounts, click here.