The Blue Ridge Mountain Volunteer Fire Company in Blue Ridge Summit received a $15,000 state grant to strengthen wildfire protection efforts in Franklin County.
The funding is part of a $905,846 investment announced by the Shapiro Administration to support 114 volunteer fire companies across Pennsylvania. The grants, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, help rural departments purchase essential wildfire suppression equipment, protective gear, communication tools, and training.
“Making sure our wildfire firefighters are well-equipped and highly trained is essential to protecting our forests and wildlands,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “Practicing fire safety every day is one of the most meaningful ways we can thank those who battle brush and forest fires across the Commonwealth.”
The Blue Ridge Mountain Volunteer Fire Company’s grant was awarded on a 50/50 cost-share basis, matching local funds to purchase priority wildfire suppression equipment. Grants of up to $15,000 were distributed to volunteer fire departments serving municipalities with fewer than 10,000 residents.
Since the program began in 1982, more than $14 million has been distributed statewide to strengthen wildfire protection. Pennsylvania’s firefighters routinely respond to brush and woodland fires and often assist with large-scale wildfire response efforts in other states.
Spring marks Pennsylvania’s most active wildfire season, with dry conditions, low humidity and increased outdoor burning contributing to greater risk. Officials remind residents to practice wildfire safety by clearing debris near burn areas, keeping fires small and monitored, and making sure ashes are completely cold before leaving a site.
