BUTTE COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Two years ago, the Butte County Fire Department applied for two large grants through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In December 2023, both Community Wildfire Defense Grants were awarded to the department.

The first grant awarded $4.9 million to provide a year-round workforce of three defensible space inspectors and one fire captain supervisor. In addition, the grant will fund one code enforcement officer and one administrative assistant with the Butte County Development Services Department to manage and enforce Butte County’s Defensible Space and Hazardous Vegetation Management requirements.

The second grant of $1.5 million will purchase an excavator with a masticating head, and a truck and trailer to transport it. This heavy equipment will be used for vegetation management projects throughout Butte County, reducing wildfire risk by removing dangerous fire fuel and returning the landscape to its natural condition.

On January 23, the Butte County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve implementation of the grant.

“We are grateful to our Board of Supervisors for their continued strong support of the fire department,” says Butte County Fire Chief Garrett Sjolund. “These two grants are critical for providing the best fire protection possible for Butte County residents.”