California Invests $9.5 Million for Wildfire County Coordinator Program

July 31, 2025 – With the support of Governor Newsom and the California State Legislature, the 2025-26 budget will provide $9.5 million for the Wildfire County Coordinator Program. Delivered in partnership between the California Fire Safe Council and CAL FIRE, the program establishes critical local capacity in 47 California counties with dedicated coordinators to secure funding, implement mitigation projects, engage vulnerable populations, and build resilience in high-risk communities. Coordinators serve as the crucial link between state strategy and local execution—ensuring California communities are better prepared, better connected, and more resilient to wildfire. The program will continue:

Operationalizing California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan at the county level;
Accelerating home hardening, defensible space implementation, and public education;
Standardizing data collection to track local and statewide wildfire resilience progress; and
Improving public safety, community insurability, and wildfire preparedness in California’s highest-risk regions.

Impact of the Wildfire County Coordinator Program

Investments in community capacity through the program have already produced substantial mitigation and resiliency benefits:

Secured over $85M in funding for local wildfire mitigation projects;
Coordinated with over 10,000 organizations to increase collaboration, break down silos, and leverage resources for community mitigation;
Hosted over 3,800 events for community engagement and education;
Educated and empowered over 800,000 residents to take action for wildfire resilience; and
Established more than 100 new FireWise Communities and Fire Safe Councils.

Testimonials from the Wildfire County Coordinators

“The Program has allowed Del Norte County Fire Safe Council to protect many underserved residents and coordinate with other wildfire mitigation groups to maximize impact. Our County Coordinator has brought nearly $4 million in federal funding to Del Norte County, created defensible space around 372 homes, and completed 1,500 home assessments.”
– Aaron Babcock, Del Norte County

“A small investment in capacity can lead to sustainable, long-term improvements for any organization. Because of the County Coordinator Grant, Plumas Fire Safe Council had the capacity to obtain a $6.8 million dollar grant dedicated to hazardous fuels reduction and assessment.”
– Liam Gallaher, Plumas County

“The County Coordinator Grant has supported collaboration in our county by allowing us to create a collaborative meeting of 14 fire prevention agencies in the county to better inform the public and improve our ability to leverage funds and labor.”
– Jon Cottington, Madera County

“We’ve been able to significantly expand our youth education impact by implementing three new school programs and getting back into the classroom with students for the first time since the 2018 Camp Fire.”
– Lauren de Terra, Butte County

“The program has given us the time and opportunity to strengthen our outreach countywide while implementing critical fuel reduction programs. We’ve also been able translate educational materials into Spanish, expanding our outreach to underserved populations.”
– Marika Ramsen, Sonoma County

“We’ve reduced redundancy, supported capacity and collaboration for other Fire Safe Councils, and boosted community engagement through Firewise USA. We also learn from other County Coordinators & implement those lessons learned.”
– Stephen Watson, Ventura County