PG&E and California Fire Foundation Partner to Combat Wildfire Risks with $950K in Community Grants

Despite one of the coolest summers in Northern and Central California in more than a decade, wildfire risk remains high. To help communities prepare and respond, the California Fire Foundation (CFF), with support from the PG&E Corporation Foundation, has awarded $950,000 in wildfire safety grants to 63 local fire departments, fire agencies, and nonprofit groups across the region.

This marks the eighth year CFF and the PG&E Foundation have partnered on the program, which funds community disaster preparedness and response projects. The PG&E Foundation increased its commitment this year by $200,000 to expand community funding.

CFF reviewed more than 190 applications during a month-long window before making the awards, which coincide with National Preparedness Month in September. Grants will be used to purchase protective and specialized equipment for firefighters, complete vegetation management, reduce fuel hazards, and support public safety education.

The grants are a central part of the 2025 Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program (WSPP), which is supported by $1.65 million in charitable funding from the PG&E Foundation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company. In addition to local grants, the program includes a public safety education campaign in multiple languages.

"This time of year is critical for the California Fire Foundation as we review WSPP grant applications from fire departments, agencies, and nonprofits. Each application reinforces the urgent need for resources to help mitigate wildfire risk," said Brian K. Rice, Chair of the California Fire Foundation. "The WSPP program is a lifeline for many of our firefighters, and it wouldn't be possible without the support of PG&E. With drought conditions, warmer temperatures, and drier months ahead, the threat of wildfire remains real. These grants allow us to equip local agencies with funding for vegetation management, fuel reduction, specialized equipment, community outreach, and essential protective gear."

Since 2018, the program has awarded $5.5 million in direct funding to 431 grantees statewide. Each year, applications have outpaced available funding. Communities receiving grants are in areas identified as extreme or elevated fire risk on the California Public Utilities Commission’s High Fire-Threat District map.

"PG&E has the privilege of serving 16 million people every day who live in 48 counties and 246 cities and towns in Northern and Central California," said Sumeet Singh, executive vice president and chief operating officer. "As the risk of wildfire continues to grow, partnerships like the one with the California Fire Foundation are critical for protecting the hometowns where our friends, families and neighbors live and work. By making homes and businesses fire-safe, by providing firefighters with the tools and equipment they need, by raising awareness of how we all can prevent wildfires — we are truly making everyone and everything safer."

The WSPP includes two primary initiatives:

• A multilingual wildfire safety campaign developed by CFF to encourage early evacuation and promote fire-safe practices, with outreach through radio, television, digital ads, and billboards in high-risk areas.

• A grant program administered by CFF to support local wildfire prevention, preparedness, and recovery projects.

This year’s grant funding is expected to support the purchase of more than 1,000 pieces of personal protective equipment, thousands of pounds of hazardous vegetation removal, prescribed burns, and fire safety education across 12 counties, reaching an estimated 1.4 million residents. Agencies also will receive specialized tools such as portable radios, headlamps, hoses, and water storage tanks.

In the 2025 application cycle, 196 agencies requested a total of $4.29 million in funding. Since the partnership began, PG&E and the PG&E Foundation have contributed $10.45 million to fire safety efforts, with more than half directed toward community-based grants.

The WSPP also supports CFF’s Firefighters on Your Side program, which provides culturally relevant fire safety messaging in multiple languages across digital and print platforms.