The Department of the Interior said Monday that up to $20 million is available to help local governments better respond to wildfires in their communities.
The Slip-on Tanker pilot program provides communities of up to 50,000 residents funds to purchase the tanker units, which are used to quickly convert trucks and other vehicles into wild-land fire engines.
“As remote, rural communities continue to grapple with the devastating impacts of intensifying wildfires, President Trump is taking strong action to ensure they have the resources needed to respond swiftly when wildfires ignite,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. “This program provides a commonsense approach to help local departments deploy more rapidly, use existing equipment more efficiently, and respond before fires threaten their communities.”
Applicants must be from a community that faces a moderate to high wildfire risk and could receive a grant that ranges from $10,000 to $249,000. Applications must be submitted by March.
Mr. Trump signed an executive order last June that aimed to enhance local response to wildfires. He signed another order last month essentially taking over wildfire recovery efforts from local and state authorities in Los Angeles as a way to fast-track the rebuilding process, after the city faced devastating wildfires a year ago.
More than 16,000 structures were destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton fires, two of the most destructive blazes in California’s history. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said early last month that 2,617 rebuilding permits has been issued out of the 6,191 applications it has received.
Mr. Newsom criticized Mr. Trump’s order, saying the president “can actually speed up recovery by providing the assistance that survivors have been waiting for.”
“Instead of finally sending to Congress the federal relief Los Angeles needs to rebuild from last year’s firestorms, Donald Trump continues to live in fantasy land,” he wrote on X.
Emergency responders told senators last week that local leaders are to blame for the disastrous Palisades Fire.
The Senate Homeland Security Committee’s permanent subcommittee on investigation has an ongoing probe that may determine who is to blame for last year’s destructive fire.
• Mary McCue Bell contributed to this report.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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