Wildfire defensible space · California

Cal OES California Wildfire Mitigation Program

Run by California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), California Wildfire Mitigation Program, with local program partners

SeasonalLast checked October 17, 2026
What you get
Financial assistance for home hardening retrofits and defensible space; amount per home and homeowner cost share not stated on the homeowner page (secondary Cal OES reports reference full cost up to about $40,000 for homeowners at or below 120% of area median income, with 0/10/25% cost-share tiers; not verified)
Who qualifies
Legal owner of a property inside a current project area at time of application (renters cannot apply; non-primary residences, manufactured homes and unpermitted homes may apply, with limits).
Where
Homeowners inside current project areas only, such as Weber Creek, Lakehead, Mira Monte, Kelseyville Riviera and Campo; renters cannot apply.
Status
Seasonal. Open only in specific project areas; as of 2026-10-17 accepting: El Dorado (Weber Creek), Lake (Kelseyville Riviera), Siskiyou (West Mount Shasta), Tuolumne; not accepting: Shasta, San Diego.
Type of payment
Free installation
Official program page

What you do

Have your home assessed and receive financial assistance for ignition-resistant retrofits and defensible space work done by program contractors.

Requirements

  • Property must be in a current project area; others rejected
  • Agree to a home assessment (generally primary structure and about 100 ft around it)
  • Sign a right-of-entry agreement for assessment and site work
  • Accept terms of CWMP and the local program partner
  • Complete required measures listed in the individualized home assessment report

How to apply

  1. 1Check the Current Project Areas table on the Cal OES CWMP homeowner page for your county and whether applications are open
  2. 2Start the online application (or contact the local partner listed)
  3. 3Preliminary approval and home assessment; receive individualized assessment report
  4. 4Agree scope of work; local partner gets contractor quotes and manages work
  5. 5Final walkthrough

Timing and deadlines

not published

not published

Combining it with other programs

Past mitigation awards do not bar applying

Sources

Last checked October 17, 2026. See something out of date? Tell us.

Sow is not affiliated with any of these agencies or utilities. Amounts and rules change, often at the start of a fiscal year, so confirm the details on the official page before you start a project. How we research these programs

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