The California Fire Foundation, with support from the PG&E Corporation Foundation, awarded $1 million in wildfire safety grants to 75 fire departments. Designed by Magnific

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - Eight organizations in Colusa, Yuba and Butte counties will receive a combined $110,000 for firefighting equipment, protective gear and wildfire prevention projects through a statewide grant program.

The California Fire Foundation, with support from the PG&E Corporation Foundation, awarded $1 million in wildfire safety grants to 75 fire departments, fire agencies and nonprofit organizations across Northern and Central California.

Two organizations in Colusa County will receive a combined $24,000. The Sacramento River Fire Protection District received $10,000 for specialized equipment, while the Williams Fire Protection Authority received $14,000 for personal protective equipment.

In Yuba County, the Dobbins Oregon House Fire Department received $14,000 for personal protective equipment and the Olivehurst Fire Department received $16,000 for specialized equipment. The two grants total $30,000.

Butte County organizations received $56,000 through four grants.

Chico Fire-Rescue received $16,000 for specialized equipment. From the Ground Up Farms received $12,000 for specialized equipment and Terra Fuego Resource Foundation Inc. received $12,000 for personal protective equipment. The Yankee Hill Fire Safe Council received $16,000 for vegetation mitigation and fuels reduction.

The grants are part of the California Fire Foundation's Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program. The foundation reviewed more than 200 applications during a monthlong application period before awarding grants to organizations in areas with high wildfire risk.

Funding can support personal protective equipment, specialized firefighting equipment, defensible space projects, vegetation management, fuel reduction and public education.

"California's firefighters and local agencies work every day to protect lives, homes and communities from a wildfire threat that does not follow a traditional season," California Fire Foundation Chair Darrell Roberts said.

Roberts said the partnership has helped local agencies purchase equipment, reduce hazardous vegetation and expand fire safety education.

"For nearly a decade, our partnership with the PG&E Foundation has helped local agencies secure critical equipment, reduce hazardous vegetation, strengthen public education and better prepare the communities they serve," Roberts said.

The 2026 grants will support projects benefiting about 4.2 million people in 36 counties, according to the foundation. Projects funded this year include more than 2,000 pieces of personal protective equipment and more than 600 pieces of specialized equipment, including water storage tanks, portable radios, headlamps, hoses, chainsaws and gear packs.

Funding will also support vegetation thinning, hazardous tree and brush removal, chipping and hauling, prescribed fires, pile burns, fuel breaks and projects designed to improve evacuation and emergency access routes.

"Behind every grant is the ability to better protect families, support firefighters, and strengthen preparedness and response when it matters most," said Sumeet Singh, CEO of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and executive vice president of energy delivery.

The California Fire Foundation and PG&E Foundation have partnered on the grant program for nine years. Since 2018, the program has provided $6.5 million in direct funding to 505 grant recipients.

The PG&E Foundation and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. are providing $1.8 million in charitable funding for the broader 2026 Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program, including the $1 million distributed through this year's grants. The contribution comes from shareholders rather than PG&E customers.

Beyond Colusa, Yuba and Butte counties, regional recipients include organizations in Glenn, Plumas, Shasta, Tehama, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer and Yolo counties.

The program also funds wildfire safety education in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Hmong, with an emphasis on evacuation and preparedness information in communities facing elevated wildfire risks.