Grants Available For Home Wildfire Protection
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) plans to award $500 grants to homeowners for fire protection. NFPA is pushing homeowners in wildfire-prone areas to protect their homes and start the conversation about fire safety.
NFPA will be awarding 150 applicants with $500 toward creating a fire-safe community.
According to Kristin Sleeper, a statewide fire information officer for Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), the goal is to allow neighbors to work together and create a fire-safe community.
“Really the whole point of the grant is to help start the conversation, and give people a few resources to take action on their own accord on Community Wildfire Preparedness Day, which is May 2,” Sleeper said.
Many resources are available for Montana residents living in fire-risk areas, but according to Sleeper, the most useful is free wildfire home assessments. If you contact the DNRC, a wildfire professional will walk through your property with you and discuss what you can do to reduce fire risk.
The NFPA grants should help homeowners achieve basic fire prevention tasks, like replacing old roof shingles and siding that could potentially allow embers into the home.
The period to apply for grants began on Jan. 7 and will go until Feb. 28.
Information about eligibility and how to apply can be found in the contest rules listed by NFPA.
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