In this April 2020 photo, members of the Tillicum Village neighborhood Firewise task force walk past piles of debris while taking a tour to see the cleanup effort around their neighborhood. 

Deschutes County is now taking applications for grants to help reduce fire fuels in neighborhoods and communities.

The grants will help fund short-term projects, such as removing brush and debris, and improving defensible space — buffer space between fires and structures.

The grants, which are only available for neighborhood-scale projects, not individuals, could be used for equipment rental, supplies, community work events, debris disposal fees, roadside chipping and more.

“We’re a very high fire risk area,” said Deschutes County Forester Kevin Moriarty. “Fire’s gonna be on the landscape regardless, and so trying to prepare for that as best you can is the best course of action.”

Grants are not recommended for annual maintenance projects like pine needle removal and raking. Individual property owners are not eligible to apply.

Preference is given to communities working to be or are already recognized as a site by Firewise USA, which is an educational program aimed to reduce fire risk, according to Moriarty.

Grants generally fall between $100 to $5,000 and the program has a total of $125,000 to issue this year.

Applications close 5 p.m. Sept. 30. Find the application form and more information at the county forester web page.