Wildfire defensible space · North Carolina

NC Forest Service Home Ignition Zone Wildfire Risk Reduction

Run by NC Forest Service (NC Dept of Agriculture)

OpenLast checked October 17, 2026
What you get
Free work, no cost to qualified landowners (not a cost-share program)
Who qualifies
Private or state/local-government landowners whose project is wholly or partly in the 39 declared disaster counties; federal land excluded. Priority goes to homes near catastrophic, severe or moderate storm damage.
Where
Landowners in the Hurricane Helene disaster counties of western North Carolina (39 counties designated under FEMA DR-4827); a partial county list is shown.
Status
Open. Page lists no deadline or end date; last modified 2026-06-12.
Type of payment
Free installation
Official program page

What you do

Have NC Forest Service crews clear debris, low limbs, storm-damaged small trees and woody fuel within 100 feet of your home (also fuel breaks and prescribed understory burns on 5-250 acres).

Requirements

  • Project in a declared Helene disaster county
  • Home ignition zone work limited to 100 ft of a habitable residence; trees 6 inches DBH or smaller only; no work above 4 ft, no roof or ladder work
  • Larger trees are not removed by NCFS; owner must hire a professional
  • Check Farm Bill programs (EQIP, WHIP, CSP, CRP) to avoid double payment for the same practice
  • One risk-reduction action per acre unless approved in writing
  • Sign a no-cost NCFS contract with witness signatures before work begins

How to apply

  1. 1Contact your local NCFS county ranger office (or the district office if the county office is unstaffed)
  2. 2NCFS staff visit the property, confirm eligibility and submit the project for approval
  3. 3Sign the no-cost NCFS contract before work
  4. 4NCFS schedules crews; landowner is contacted before work (timing depends on weather, equipment and season)

Timing and deadlines

Not published; depends on equipment availability, season and weather

not published

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 See something out of date?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