Fire safe council awarded $20K grant focused on creating defensible space
Jun. 16—The Yuba Watershed Protection & Fire Safe Council is being awarded a $20,000 grant meant to support a defensible space assistance program in Yuba County heading into wildfire season.
The grant funding is part of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company's commitment to supporting local fire safe councils and nonprofit organizations that are focused on reducing the threat of wildfires in its communities — the utility company is dedicating $2 million in grants for projects scheduled in 2021.
"With our Community Wildfire Safety Program, we focus on reducing wildfire risk by meeting and exceeding state vegetation safety standards, continuing to harden our electric grid with stronger power lines and poles and by integrating new tools and technologies," said Peter Kenny, PG&E interim vice president of vegetation management, in a press release. "But we can't do it all alone. We need to work together and enable each other to prepare for this wildfire season, which is why the work of the local fire safe councils is so essential."
PG&E has awarded $17 million in grant funding since 2014 to support local fire safe councils. Typical projects that receive funding focus on reducing fuel, creating fuel breaks, and improving fire evacuation routes and emergency access roads.
The Yuba Watershed Protection & Fire Safe Council will use the funds to support the Yuba Foothills Special Needs Defensible Space Assistance Program of 2021, which helps residents unable to afford or perform the work themselves to create a defensible space on their properties.
"We are thrilled to partner with PG&E again to bring this vital community service to residents, ahead of what has the potential to be a particularly challenging wildfire season," said Steve Andrews, executive director of the local fire safe council, in a press release.
For more information about the defensible space assistance program in Yuba County, visit www.yubafiresafe.org.
