Jefferson County landowners can apply for $500 defensible space grants

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, in a collaborative effort with the Jefferson County Fire Chiefs, is offering private landowners the opportunity to apply for funding in an effort to minimize fire danger as outlined in the Jefferson County Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

Eligible residents will be offered a flat-rate reimbursement of $500 for treating the land around their homes to Firewise standards.

The goal of Firewise is to minimize fire danger in subdivisions and neighborhoods and make firefighting safer and more effective. Information on Firewise and how to prepare your home for wildfire can be found on the National Fire Protection Association website here: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Preparing-homes-for-wildfire.

Local fire officials will be responsible for assuring that the standards have been met prior to dispersing funds. The fire officials are trained evaluators of defensible space standards and will assess and certify properties as requested. The overall goal of this project is to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire to homes in high risk areas by reducing hazardous fuels on private lands.

Applications are open now. Applications must be submitted by September 1, 2023 and all grant projects must be must be completed and approved by your local fire officials by October 31, 2023. To learn more about eligibility and fill out the application, landowners can contact their local fire protection districts, visit https://www.coic.org/emergency-preparedness/jeff-co-fuels/ or contact Sommers Taylor at staylor@coic.org.