Wildfire season doesn’t wait for funding. Every year, communities across Oregon apply for grants to support critical work: home hardening, defensible space, fuel breaks, and local planning. And every year, some of those applications get denied, delayed, or missed entirely.
So what do we do when the money doesn’t show up? We keep going because waiting isn’t an option. Wildfire preparedness cannot hinge on a grant approval. Here’s what still works, even without a check in hand:
1. Start with What You Control
Your home and property are your responsibility. Focus on defensible space. Clear flammable materials within 30 feet of your structures. Mow grasses, prune low branches, remove debris. This is sweat equity, not a line item.
2. Build Local Momentum
Talk to your neighbors. Organize a weekend cleanup. Ask if your local fire department or community group offers support like tool loans, green waste disposal, or cost-sharing for fuel reduction. The strongest fire prevention work happens when neighbors commit together.
3. Look Closer for Resources
State and federal grants get the spotlight, but smaller programs exist. Some counties offer chipping services or reimbursements. Others have assistance through Soil and Water Conservation Districts, watershed councils, or fire districts. These do not always make headlines, but they are worth pursuing.
4. Be Ready Before the Fire
Do not wait until smoke is in the air. Make an evacuation plan, pack a go kit, identify multiple exit routes, and sign up for emergency alerts through OR-Alert. These steps are free and they save lives.
5. Keep Your Foot in the Door
Even if a grant did not come through this year, stay engaged. Strengthen relationships with partners. Update your project plans. Have documentation and timelines ready so when a new opportunity opens, you are not starting from scratch.
6. Tap Into Shared Knowledge
Oregon Living With Fire is here to help. Our role is to connect you with tools, ideas, and programs already working across Deschutes, Jefferson, Crook, and Klamath counties. If something is making a difference nearby, we will help get that knowledge in your hands.
Grant funding helps. It can speed things up, scale efforts, and fill in big gaps. However, it is not the only way to move forward. We can still act. We can still prepare to protect what matters together.
