More than $1 million in grants, public education, and outreach funded in 2026; Applications Accepted June 8 through July 8

OAKLAND, Calif., June 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- With peak wildfire season approaching across Northern and Central California, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the California Fire Foundation (CFF) are calling for grant applications that support wildfire safety, prevention and emergency preparedness. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on July 8, 2026, through the CFF website. Award notification will begin August 10, 2026.

The grant program continues a nine-year partnership between PG&E and CFF. PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation (PG&E Foundation) are providing a total of $1.8 million to CFF's Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program (WSPP). The program continues to drive public awareness about wildfire safety and deliver resources to underserved communities in high fire-risk areas.

Last year, as part of the WSPP, PG&E and CFF awarded 63 local fire departments and community groups $950,000 in funding in competitive grants. This year funding has been increased to $1 million in grant awards.

In 2025, grants supported:

• Purchasing approximately 1,500 pieces of personal protective equipment including helmets, boots, gloves, goggles and fire shelters
• Removing over 33 million square feet of hazardous tree and brush
• Chipping and hauling of 3 million pounds of tree limbs, branches and other combustibles
• Conducting 49 prescribed fires or pile burns for forest management

A full report and video summary on the 2025 WSPP is available by visiting the CFF website.

"Preparedness plays a critical role in protecting California communities from the growing threat of wildfire," said Angie Carmignani, Executive Director of the California Fire Foundation. "The Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program helps strengthen local wildfire prevention and preparedness efforts by supporting fire agencies with much needed grants for specialized firefighting equipment, vegetation management and fuels reduction efforts, and obtaining personal protection equipment. CFF's continued partnership with PG&E since 2018 has been important in ensuring resources are there for agencies that need them and that our communities stay informed, prepared and resilient all year round."

Since 2018, CFF, which administers and manages the program, has awarded 431 grants to fire departments and community organizations statewide, focusing its efforts in PG&E's service area of Northern and Central California. Funding targets communities identified as having extreme or elevated fire risk as identified by the California Public Utilities Commission.

"For nine years, PG&E has joined with the California Fire Foundation to support the Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program," said Andy Abranches, PG&E Vice President of Wildfire Mitigation. "These grants, which provide essential safety equipment and fund projects that reduce the risk of uncontrolled wildfires, reflect our joint, long-term commitment to successfully keeping our hometowns safe."

How the Grants Help Communities

From 2018 to the present, PG&E and the PG&E Foundation have provided $12.25 million in total support for fire safety awareness through the WSPP. The charitable contributions are paid by PG&E shareholders, not PG&E customers.

Since 2018, WSPP has funded:

• Specialized fire equipment and personal protective equipment
• Defensible space and vegetation management efforts
• Fuel/hazard reduction programs
• Fire prevention and emergency preparedness education, including senior citizen wildfire preparedness programs
• Partnerships with community groups in high fire-risk areas to distribute fire-safety information
• Fire safety outreach campaigns, including 12,000 multi-lingual brochures targeting under-resourced communities in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hmong, and Vietnamese

The program develops and distributes in-language fire-safety messaging targeting Spanish, Chinese, Hmong, and Vietnamese communities. These efforts include a comprehensive media campaign consisting of outdoor billboards and in-language television, radio, and digital ads.

The California Fire Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, aids firefighters, their families, and the communities they protect. CFF's Firefighters on Your Side program, also supported by PG&E, provides multi-lingual, culturally relevant fire safety messaging in both digital and print forms to assist the public in staying safe.

About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

About The PG&E Corporation Foundation
The PG&E Corporation Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, separate from PG&E and sponsored by PG&E Corporation.

About California Fire Foundation
The California Fire Foundation, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization, provides emotional and financial assistance to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters, and the communities they protect. Formed in 1987 by California Professional Firefighters, the California Fire Foundation's mandate includes an array of survivor and victim assistance projects and community initiatives. cafirefoundation.org

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/applications-now-open-for-pge-and-california-fire-foundation-wildfire-preparedness-grants-302794366.html

SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company