Empowering Communities to Prepare for Wildfire Season, Grants to Local Nonprofits Focused on Wildfire Mitigation Projects

Local Fire Safe Councils Receiving $2 Million from PG&E to Fund 32 Projects in 26 Counties

This wildfire season, mobilizing Californians to protect their homes, businesses, communities, and the environment from wildfire is more important than ever. The work of local California Fire Safe Councils (FSCs) is critical to strengthening the safety and preparedness of local communities during the 2021 wildfire season.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) continues its strong support of local FSCs and non-profit organizations that are focused on reducing the threat of wildfires in its communities, with $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. 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,” said Peter Kenny, PG&E Interim Vice President of Vegetation Management.

Since 2014, PG&E has provided $17 million in grant funding to support local FSCs in their efforts to improve fire safety in communities. Typical FSC projects include reducing fuel, creating fuel breaks, and improving fire evacuation routes and emergency access roads.

“With funding from PG&E, we’re able to expand our chipper program and offer free community chipper days for residents in Mendocino County, which we’ve found are a great way to empower residents to finish defensible space clearing,” said Scott Cratty, President of the Mendocino County FSC. “This year, the funding also allowed us to receive a matching grant that helps provide defensible space clearing assistance for the handicapped and for seniors whose income qualifies.”

California continues to experience extreme weather, leading to an increase in wildfire risk and a longer wildfire season. One-third of the electric lines that provide PG&E customers with power are now in extreme or elevated fire-threat areas, as identified by the California Public Utilities Commission.

The funding from PG&E will go toward 32 projects that are planned to be completed by November of this year. A list of local Fire Safe Councils and 501(c)(3) organizations receiving PG&E project funding is below:

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

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