Community Fire Control Grants

Community Wildfire Defense Grant

The Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program helps communities and Tribes plan for and reduce wildfire risk by implementing the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.

This federal grant program prioritizes at-risk, underserved, and wildfire-impacted communities. The United States Forest Service has established and authorized a $1 billion CWDG Program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The CWDG Program offers funding opportunities to develop Community Wildfire Protection Plans and to complete Wildfire Mitigation Projects. Projects that are funded must be completed within five years of the award date.

Learn more at the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program | US Forest Service website.

Eligibility

Your community may be eligible if it meets at least one of the following:

It is considered at risk of wildfire;
Has wildfire hazard potential (defined as having greater than 40th percentile Wildfire Risk to Homes, as compared to the state or nation, or having greater than 67th percentile Wildfire Hazard Potential as compared to the state or nation).

To help determine eligibility, check your community's wildfire risk at WildfireRisk.org.

Eligible applicants include:

Units of local governments representing communities located in an area with a risk of wildfires,
Indian Tribes (please apply through either the Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Corporations specific notice or the applicable regional notice),
Non-profit organizations, including homeowner associations that assist such communities,
State forestry agencies.

You can find more information on the Who Is Eligible to Apply and How? webpage.

Priority will be given to projects that:

Are located in an area identified as having a high or very high wildfire hazard potential;
Benefit a low-income community; or
Are located in a community impacted by a severe disaster within the previous 10 years, which increased wildfire risk and/or hazard.

Grant Categories and Match Requirements

Applications are accepted for two grant categories:

Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP): For communities developing or updating a CWPP. Awards up to $250,000. A CWPP is similar to a hazard mitigation plan; however, it is a standalone document pertaining to wildfire risk and mitigation in a specific geographical area such as a town, county, or other community. A CWPP must be created with collaboration between the local government, the local fire department, and the state.
Project Implementation: For communities with an existing CWPP. Awards up to $10 million. Supports fuel reduction, defensible space, and wildfire mitigation.

Required matching funds:

10% non-federal match for proposals to develop or update a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

25% non-federal match for proposals to implement projects described within a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

Communities meeting the definition of underserved or Indian Tribes may request a waiver of match.

Application Process

The application period is currently closed.

This program is currently funded through fiscal year 2026. The application will be available when the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is announced by the United States Forest Service. The FY2025 NOFO is available to view.

Notices of funding opportunities (NOFO) detail specific application instructions and are posted on Grants.gov. Search keyword CWDG or click on the links under Opportunities. Applicants are strongly encouraged to develop proposals in consultation with the state cooperative fire contacts listed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Applicants must register their organization in the Federal System for Award Management (SAM). Organizations must have an active registration with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov), which will generate a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Creating a SAM registration may take several weeks or more to complete. Therefore, ensure you apply for your SAM registration promptly.

Applications are prioritized by the following categories: wildfire risk, low-income criteria, hazard potential, and severe disaster impact. Applicants can use the Community Wildfire Defense Grants website (wildfirerisk.org) to see how their community scores.

Example Projects

Visit the USFS CWDG Dashboard to view a complete list of previously funded projects.

Maurice River Township, NJ. Amount: $117,000. “Fire and Fuel Break - Cumberland Fireline". Create firebreaks and reduce forest fuel loading by use of prescribed fire. The project will then introduce a prescribed fire program on lands adjacent to the firebreak in a safe and efficient way.
Cape Cod Cooperative Extension Service. Amount: $143,750. “Barnstable County CWPP Revision”. The project will update the existing Barnstable County, MA, Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
Maine Forest Service. Amount: $176,381. “Pleasant River Lake Association Fuel Reduction”. This project will help make the Pleasant River Lake Community in Beddington, Maine, become more resilient from wildfire. In order to effectively respond to wildfires, the mitigation work along the roads will be done to increase safety during response and help them function as firebreaks. The project will also create and maintain staging areas / turnouts along the road system to facilitate traffic flow during emergencies. The Maine Forest Service (MFS) will provide training and initiate an annual brush chipping program where homeowners clear brush near structures, and Maine Forest Rangers will train local area firefighters to conduct structural wildfire risk assessments.

Resources

Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program | US Forest Service

CWDG Connecticut Frequently Asked Questions

CWDG 2023 Application Frequently Asked Questions

For Community Wildfire Defense Grant questions and assistance, contact:

James Bryan
CT DEEP Fire Control Officer
860-996-0483
James.Bryan@ct.gov

Volunteer Fire Capacity Grant

Volunteer Fire Capacity (VFC, formerly Volunteer Fire Assistance) funds are part of a national allotment for rural fire protection under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978, as amended by the Forest Stewardship Act of 1990. This program is in accordance with the National Fire Plan. Payments pursuant to this grant are subject to the annual appropriation of funds by the United States Congress. The program provides assistance for the prevention, control, and suppression of fires that threaten human life, livestock, crops, pastures, orchards, woodlands, farmsteads, and other improvements.

Eligibility for VFC Grant Program

Federal guidelines for VFC require that eligible fire departments must be in a town with a population of less than 10,000, according to the most recent census.

Eligible Projects:

Training and necessary equipment
Prevention, control, and suppression of fire
Projects do not have to be wildfire-related

Eligible Purchases Include:

Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
Protective clothing: turnout gear or Nomex
Communication equipment
Prevention materials
All water handling equipment: hose, suction hose, nozzles, adapters
Skid or slide in units
Foam: proportioners, nozzles, compressed air foam systems

Medical and rescue purchases are not eligible. Fire Departments must show proof of purchase. Local funds must be available at the time of application.

Application Process

Annually, the Forestry Division receives notification of available VFC funds through the U.S. Forest Service. Notification is normally received in late February. At that time, the Forestry Division applies for these funds, and eligible fire departments are notified. Applications are scored, and fire departments are notified after final approval of the grant request. These funds are a matching 50% reimbursable grant with a maximum cap of $2,500.

VFC grants are competitive, so established scoring guidelines are utilized to evaluate all grant applications. Criteria in the scoring of applications include the number of calls the department responded to during the previous year, the town's insurance rating, whether there is a plan in place to reduce (improve) their insurance rating, the grand list, the percentage of the fire department budget that is paid for by town taxes, and recent history of receiving the VFC grants.

The application period is currently closed.

For more information on the Volunteer Fire Capacity program, contact:

Olney Knight
CT DEEP Fire Control Officer
Phone: 860-336-4244
Email: Olney.Knight@ct.gov

Content last updated November 2025.

Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection