Volunteer fire companies serving Pennsylvania’s rural communities can apply for a share of up to $882,000 in grants to help protect against wildfires.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is overseeing the grant program. The application deadline is 4 p.m. on Dec. 31, and submissions will only be accepted electronically through the DCNR’s grant website.
“We appreciate the value of well-equipped and highly trained wildland firefighters and encourage fire companies to apply for these grants,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said in a statement. “The commitment and dedication of these volunteers is critical to ensuring the Commonwealth doesn’t experience larger wildfires.”
The maximum grant award for 2026 is $15,000 per fire company, and recipients must provide matching funds.
To be eligible, firefighting forces must be located in rural areas or in communities with fewer than 10,000 residents. Selection is based on an area’s vulnerability to wildfires and the adequacy of its existing fire protection.
Funding is intended for training and equipment related to fighting brush and forest fires. Priority will go to projects for purchasing wildfire suppression equipment and protective clothing, though grants can also fund radios, the installation of dry hydrants, and vehicle conversions for wildland fire response.
The grant program, which began in 1982, is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and has distributed more than $13 million. In 2023, nearly $885,000 was awarded to 142 volunteer fire companies.
Among the 2023 recipient and grant awards in the Lehigh Valley region were in Lehigh County, Lynnport Community Fire Co. No. 1 in New Tripoli, $4,964; and in Northampton County, Dewey Fire Co. No. 1 in Hellertown, Plainfield Township Volunteer Fire Co. outside Wind Gap and Washington Township Volunteer Fire Co. outside Bangor — $12,500 each.
The DCNR reminds residents that 99% of all wildfires in Pennsylvania are caused by people, with fall and spring being peak times for wildfire risk.
Officials advise anyone starting a fire to clear combustible items from a 10-foot radius, keep water and a shovel nearby, and ensure the fire is completely extinguished before leaving.
Supervising reporter Kurt Bresswein contributed to this report. Reach him at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
Generative AI was used to draft this story, based on data provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. It was reviewed and edited by lehighvalleylive.com.
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