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Grant channels, agency guidance, and low-cost first steps for San Bernardino County homeowners, with the mountain communities front of mind.
Where to look
A note on honesty: we don't list specific dollar amounts or name grant programs we haven't verified as currently open, because funding cycles close. The resources page links the official sources that stay current.
Questions
Programs exist and change as funding cycles open. California has funded defensible-space and home-hardening grant pilots, and AB 1455 (2025) touches implementation funding. Availability is program-by-program and changes often, so verify current openings through the official resources on this page before planning around a grant.
With your fire authority: county fire for Lake Arrowhead, Crestline, and Wrightwood; the Running Springs and Big Bear departments in their communities. Mountain fire-safe councils have run chipper days and defensible-space help for years, and this site's mountain pages lead with assistance for exactly that reason. Then CAL FIRE's grant channels at fire.ca.gov.
Start with the address check so you know your actual scope: many properties need less than feared, and the highest-impact items (moving the woodpile off the wall, raking needle litter from the 5-foot ring, swapping mulch for gravel) cost little or nothing. The first five feet is Recommended now even where Zone 0 is not in force.
Grant programs and free defensible-space guidance exist for mountain communities. Verify current openings through official channels before spending.
See assistance programsQuestions? Call (213) 279-1797 Calls are answered by an automated AI assistant and may be recorded and transcribed. or get in touch.