State Fire Marshal offers $250 grants to renters, homeowners for wildfire defensible space

The State Fire Marshal is offering grants of $250 to help property owners in 50 communities clear the space in front of their homes to prevent wildfires. The program launched March 11, ahead of the 2024 wildfire season, and is meant to encourage residents in areas facing a high risk of wildfires to clear space around their properties. That means getting rid of debris, plants, tree branches and any flammable materials within at least 5 feet of homes and buildings, according to the office of the State Fire Marshal.

Despite state fire agencies calling for more money to help property owners create defensible space and harden homes and buildings in high-risk communities, the Legislature last summer allocated about $3 million for such work. That’s about 10 times less than lawmakers approved in 2021. During the recent Legislative session, a bill proposed by state Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, to spend $5 million to fund defensible space projects died in the Joint Ways and Means Committee.