California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) is pleased to announce an open funding opportunity for the State Fire Capacity (SFC) Grant Program. Funding for the 2026 State Fire Capacity Grant Program is provided for CFSC from the Cooperative Fire Program of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Department of Agriculture, Pacific Southwest Region. The Federal Assistance Listing (formerly Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance – CFDA) number and name are 10.698 Cooperative Fire Program.
2026 State Fire Capacity Grant Program Goals and Strategy
The State Fire Capacity Program serves as a mechanism to help California communities respond to the growing concern over catastrophic wildfire and exemplify efforts to create fire-adapted communities through:
- Hazardous fuels reduction and maintenance projects on non-federal lands.
- Community Wildfire Protection Plans and other wildfire mitigation plans or assessments.
- Wildfire prevention and mitigation education and outreach.
Past awarded projects have bolstered awareness and engaged the public in developing more wildfire resilient neighborhoods and communities, as well as providing planning and capacity funds to identify and prioritize shovel-ready projects.
Available Funding & Match:
Applicants may request up to $200,000 in federal funding for a 24-month period of performance (projected October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2028). Please note: a cost share match ratio of 1:1.5 (1.5x the awarded amount) will be required for this grant opportunity.
Eligibility
Applicants should review this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) closely. It contains grant management guidelines and important information about eligible projects. Successful applicants must demonstrate appropriate grant management ability and must be deemed fully eligible for funding by CFSC prior to subaward.
How to apply:
Applications open on April 1, 2026. Visit https://cafiresafecouncil.org/grants-and-funding/apply-for-a-grant to create a new ZoomGrants account or log in to your existing account and select “26 State Fire Capacity” to begin. The grant program and applications will not be available for viewing until April 1, 2026; however, you should utilize the Application Guide and the Application Planning Tool, which are available to assist in developing your application and planning your project.
Application Timeline & Resources:
Applications open April 1, 2026, and the application deadline is May 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PDT. Grant awards will be announced in late Summer 2026. The grant term is 24 months with an anticipated period of performance of October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2028.
- Notice of Funding Opportunity
- Application Guide
- Application Planning Tool
- Application Webinar Registration Link
- Coming Soon
- Application Webinar Recording
- Available 4/4/26
- Application Webinar PowerPoint presentation slides
- Available 4/4/26
Federal financial assistance funding for this opportunity is provided by the United States Forest Service (USFS) as an annual award for FY 25 through the State Fire Capacity Program.
Funding #25-DG-11052012-155
QUESTIONS?
For all 2026 State Fire Capacity Grant Program inquiries, please contact Christopher Lozano, Senior Grant Specialist, at clozano@cafiresafecouncil.org, or Jared Peri, Fire Safe Communities Program Manager, at jperi@cafiresafecouncil.org.
In accordance with federal law, CFSC is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs. CFSC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
