California: During Wildfire Preparedness Week, Governor Newsom announces $70 million available for wildfire prevention and resilience projects statewide

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May 7, 2026

During Wildfire Preparedness Week, Governor Newsom announces $70 million available for wildfire prevention and resilience projects statewide

What you need to know: California is investing $70 million for wildfire prevention and resilience projects across the state to protect communities — from clearing brush, maintaining evacuation routes, creating firebreaks in fire-threatened communities, and more.

SACRAMENTO – During Wildfire Preparedness Week, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the availability of up to $70 million in grant funding for community-focused wildfire prevention and resilience projects. These grants, supported by the Legislature, empower locally led efforts that reduce wildfire risk, strengthen preparedness, and help protect lives, property, and critical infrastructure.

In California, wildfire season is year-round, and our readiness has to be year-round too. We will continue investing in wildfire prevention, forest resilience, and community preparedness through partners who know their communities best. And we'll keep doing that work even as Trump makes reckless cuts to wildfire preparedness projects across our state and the nation. The safety and well-being of Californians always come first.

Governor Gavin Newsom

Over the last six years, CAL FIRE has awarded more than $566 million in Wildfire Prevention Grants to over 575 projects across the state. Last year, Governor Newsom and the Legislature deployed $170 million in voter-approved Proposition 4 (Climate Bond) funding for wildfire resilience projects.

Strengthening community wildfire prevention efforts

Community-focused wildfire prevention grant projects, funded by the state's Climate Bond (Proposition 4), reduce the potential for destructive wildfires in and around communities, improve public health, and limit greenhouse gas emissions. Opportunities for projects may include activities like clearing vegetation, community chipping days, evacuation planning, and educational workshops aimed at strengthening a community's readiness and reducing the conditions that allow fires to ignite and spread.

Hotter, drier conditions fueled by our changing climate are making wildfires more frequent and more destructive. Wildfire prevention and resilience projects that also deliver carbon‑reduction benefits will receive additional consideration.

Recent resilience projects across California directly reduced wildfire risk, improved firefighter safety, and safeguarded communities.

• Siskiyou County, the Eastside Yreka Community Protection Project is reducing hazardous fuels across 410 acres near homes, evacuation routes, and critical infrastructure.
• Alameda County, the Anthony Chabot Forest Fuels Enhancement Project is treating 556 acres near nearly 22,000 homes in a high-risk wildland-urban interface area.
• San Bernardino County, the roadside fuel reduction work across 282 acres is improving evacuation routes and helping to protect more than 37,000 structures.

These projects all meet the goals and objectives of Governor Newsom's Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, as well as the Strategic Fire Plan for California.

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"California's strength lies in the layers of resilience we build together. As we face a changing wildfire environment, the State remains steadfast in supporting communities with the resources and partnerships needed to safeguard our future," said California State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant. "Our commitment is clear: we understand the challenge, and we are fully dedicated to creating a safer, more resilient California for generations to come."

"These grants empower communities to reduce hazardous fuels, strengthen evacuation readiness, and protect the places Californians live, work, and recreate," said Frank Bigelow, Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation. "By investing in locally driven prevention projects, we are reducing risks today while building long-term resilience for future generations."

Grant applications are now open. Community organizations working to reduce wildfire risk in California — including public agencies, nonprofits, tribes, and more — are encouraged to apply. Completed applications must be submitted by 3:00 p.m. on July 8, 2026.

Get prepared for wildfire

Every Californian has a role to play in wildfire preparedness — here's how to get started:

• Sign up for local emergency alerts to keep you and your loved ones informed at ready.ca.gov/alerts. When you sign up, you can choose how to get alerts sent to you, including cell phone, home phone, email, and text.
• Check out Readyforwildfire.org, for wildfire preparedness tips like creating a wildfire action plan, how to create a defensible space, and expert advice to stay one step ahead of wildfires.
• Visit Listos California for emergency preparedness resources in more than 15 languages, including indigenous Mexican languages. Tools available on Listos California can help you and your family prepare ahead of time for several types of emergencies, including wildfire and wildfire smoke.

Trump weakens wildfire preparedness while California continues to lead

President Trump has made dramatic cuts to wildfire readiness across the United States and especially in rural and high-fire-risk California communities.

• In the final year of the Biden administration, the Forest Service treated more than 4 million acres of hazardous vegetation to reduce wildfire risk. Under Trump, that number plummeted to 2.6 million — a drop of nearly 1.5 million acres heading into what experts are warning could be an extreme fire season.
• Trump slashed prescribed burns by nearly half, dropping from over 1.6 million acres in 2024 to roughly 900,000 acres in 2025.
• Trump has proposed eliminating annual block grants that support state, tribal, private landowner, and urban forestry programs, which is funding that directly supports wildfire prevention partners across California.
• Trump is also turning his back on California communities trying to rebuild more resilient after wildfires. In April 2025, Trump cut a $35 million grant for Napa to reduce wildfire threats and build back more resilience after devastating fires. The Trump administration said the program was wasteful and ineffective. California is actively challenging the Trump administration to restore critical funds for the people of Napa, including 86 other California hazard mitigation projects.

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