$168,000 CAL FIRE Grant Helps Protect Puente Hills Communities from Growing Wildfire Risk

The Puente Hills Habitat Preservation Authority (Habitat Authority) has been awarded $168,000 through the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Wildfire Prevention Grants Program to support ongoing wildfire prevention work in the Puente Hills and surrounding communities.

Habitat Authority is one of four grant recipients in Los Angeles County funded in the FY 2025–26 cycle.

The awarded project, Puente Hills Fuels Reduction – Maintenance, will help to reduce the risk of wildland fires to habitable structures and communities of Whittier and Hacienda Heights, by maintaining approximately 73.5 acres of wildland urban interface defensible space and contribute as needed to reduce the fuel load with removal of dead, dying, and/or hazardous trees and/or fuels reduction along emergency access routes. The Puente Hills are surrounded by over 20,000 -100,000 homes within a short drive. The areas are located in CAL FIRE's Very High Fire Hazard Zones.

“This grant helps us keep up critical, ongoing maintenance that reduces wildfire risk where open space meets neighborhoods,” said Ivan Sulic, Chair of the Habitat Authority’s Board of Directors. “Habitat Authority’s grant efforts bring resources like this to our communities, and this funding will directly support defensible space and fuel reduction work that helps protect residents, protects the hills, improves emergency access, and strengthens long-term wildfire resilience across the Puente Hills.”

Habitat Authority’s wildfire prevention work supports the agency’s broader mission to preserve and protect the Puente Hills, maintaining these hillsides as a public benefit. When paired with community responsibility of home hardening, yard clearance and emergency planning, the Habitat Authority’s efforts are maximized for greater community protections.

“It's our honor to preserve and protect these hills,” shared Andrea Gullo, Habitat Authority Executive Director. “This project advances fire prevention and resilience while supporting the long term stewardship of the Puente Hills. We’re grateful for this investment from CAL FIRE and California Climate Investments, and we look forward to delivering visible, community-centered wildfire safety improvements.”

Funding for this project was provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (CAL FIRE) Wildfire Prevention Grants Program as part of the California Climate Investments Program.