Jefferson County landowners may be eligible for $600 reimbursement through defensible space grant

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

Eligible residents will be offered a flat-rate reimbursement of $600 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 standards were 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 now open and must be submitted by April 1, 2025. All grant projects must be completed and approved by local fire officials by June 30, 2025. 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.