The Shapiro Administration will invest up to $882,000 in volunteer fire companies to help protect rural communities from wildfires. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is now accepting applications for grants.
“We appreciate the value of well-equipped and highly trained wildland firefighters and encourage fire companies to apply for these grants,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “The commitment and dedication of these volunteers is critical to ensuring the Commonwealth doesn’t experience larger wildfires. We appreciate the hard work of the men and women who volunteer with fire companies serving our rural communities across Pennsylvania.”
The maximum grant award in 2026 is $15,000 per fire company, with funding provided on a 50/50 cost-share basis — grants for any project during a fiscal year cannot exceed 50 percent of the actual expenditures of local, public, and private nonprofit organizations in the grant project. Eligible applicants include local firefighting forces in rural areas or communities with fewer than 10,000 residents.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania