Hidden Hills Receives Fire Prevention Grant

CALABASAS, CA — Hidden Hills received a $42,875 grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for its brush clearance project.

It's wildfire season in California, which means cities across are scrambling to recover from fires that have already hit and put preventative measures in place.

"This year, wildfires have once again been extremely severe and damaging, which only highlights our continued need to perform more community- based fire-prevention projects," Cal Fire Chief Thomas Porter said. "Our wildfire and forest strategy includes funding these types of fire-prevention projects to reduce the severity of wildfires and harden our communities."

Hidden Hills' Brush Clearance Project

Most of Hidden Hills is considered a High Fire Severity Zone by Cal Fire, and nearly all of Calabasas is considered a High Fire Severity Zone.

This massive grant will go toward Hidden Hills' brush clearance project, which will help reduce wildfire fuel and thus decrease the potential spread of a fire. The project will use goat grazing as a method to clear high fire risk areas.

Goat grazing can be helpful to reach areas inaccessible to mowers and where controlled fires are risky. Grazing is also a carbon-neutral method of brush clearing, according to Fire Safe Marin. Not to mention — it sounds pretty cute.

The 2021 Cal Fire Grants

More than a half dozen five-, six- and seven- figure state grants intended to reduce fire hazards and increase education about wildfire dangers are earmarked for entities in Los Angeles and Orange counties, Cal Fire announced Monday.

The monetary outlays, part of nearly $138 million in funding for 105 local fire-safety projects across California, will enable public safety agencies to reduce the risk of wildfire through fuel reduction, emergency planning and fire prevention education, according to Cal Fire.

In April, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 85, which provided $536 million to accelerate forest health, fire prevention and climate resiliency. The allocation included $123 million for Cal Fire's Fire Prevention Grant Program, including $50 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, with an additional $73 million coming from the state general fund.

— City News Service contributed to this story.