CHICO, CA (MPG) – The North Valley Community Foundation has awarded $131,341 to 10 wildfire prevention, preparedness and response projects across Butte, Glenn, Tehama and Colusa counties.
The funding includes $96,341 through the Donna Murrill Wildfire Fund and $35,000 through the Camp Fire Fund.
Several of the grants will support projects in Butte County, including defensible space work, prescribed burning, firefighting equipment and disaster preparedness.
The Butte Fire Safe Council received $10,000 from the Donna Murrill Wildfire Fund for a program providing defensible space work and wildfire risk assessments for vulnerable homeowners. The work includes cutting and chipping brush and removing dead or dying trees.
The program prioritizes residents based on need, with low-income, elderly and disabled residents receiving the highest priority.
Northern Valley Catholic Social Service also received $10,000 for defensible space and vegetation management work benefiting low-income older adults in fire-prone areas.
The Butte Prescribed Burn Association received $10,786 to add a second fire engine, which will allow the organization to increase its prescribed burning operations. The association, part of the Butte County Resource Conservation District, has conducted 109 prescribed fires covering 514 acres since 2021.
The grant will pay for equipment needed to convert a half-ton pickup into a fire engine.
The Cohasset Ridge Prescribed Burn Association received $15,000 toward an equipment trailer for prescribed burns and fuel removal projects in Cohasset, Richardson Springs and Campbellville. The association operates as part of the Healthy Forest Alliance.
The Stirling City Volunteer Fire Department received $20,557 to help replace a fire engine used for medical emergencies and wildland fires. The grant will provide the required 5% local match for the purchase, with Butte County Fire covering the remaining 95%.
Funding also extends into Colusa County through a $15,000 grant to Watch Duty, a free wildfire notification app. The money will support expanded reporting and outreach in Butte, Glenn, Tehama and Colusa counties.
The Donna Murrill Wildfire Fund also awarded $15,000 to the Resource Conservation District of Tehama County for the Sky Ranch Community Protection Project. The project calls for removing hazardous vegetation to create a fuel break around the eastern Tehama County community.
Murrill, a longtime Durham resident, left a gift through her estate to the North Valley Community Foundation for wildfire recovery and response work.
Three additional Butte County projects received funding through the foundation’s Camp Fire Fund.
The Yankee Hill Fire Safe Council received $15,000 for defensible space work around homes belonging to elderly, disabled or low-income residents in the Concow and Yankee Hill areas.
The Butte Fire Safe Council received another $10,000 to provide gravel to qualifying homeowners for “Zone 0” defensible space around homes and community gathering places. The program focuses on creating a 5-foot buffer around structures.
Help Central Inc., which operates Butte-Glenn 211, received $10,000 for disaster readiness and preparedness projects and to connect residents with local fire prevention programs and services.
Organizations eligible for the grant program included nonprofits, government agencies and tribes serving Butte, Glenn, Tehama and Colusa counties.