San Gabriel Valley cities are receiving nearly $950,000 in state grants for wildfire prevention projects, including the clearing of hazardous brush over 450 acres in Claremont Wilderness Park, officials said Wednesday.
The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments received the funding from Cal Fire’s Wildfire Prevention Grant Program. The council’s Fire Prep SGV Wildfire Resilience and Fuel Reduction Program is expected to fund six to 10 initiatives intended for removing vegetation that poses a fire risk in an effort to reduce the potential intensity and spread of wildfires, according to the council.
Areas of focus for the projects are designated as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones and that aim to help safeguard over 20,000 structures in the region.
Claremont is leading the effort with plans for brush clearance on about 450 acres in Claremont Wilderness Park, reducing risky vegetation in an area that borders residential neighborhoods and is vulnerable to wildfire.
“The devastating wildfires our region experienced in 2025, including the Eaton Fire, made clear that we cannot afford to wait,” Ed Reece, president of the SGV Council and vice mayor of Claremont, said in a statement. “Proactive, aggressive fuel mitigation is essential to protecting our communities, homes, and critical infrastructure.”
Reece said the grants will support the 31 SGV Council cities with brush clearing and other fuel-reduction projects to prevent fires.
The council will work with cities and unincorporated communities in the San Gabriel Valley to identify locations and implement the projects, officials said. The program aims to reduce horizontal and vertical concentrations of combustible weeds that can add to the intensity and spread of wildfires.
The SGV Council of Governments has an online fire-prevention portal at sgvcog.org/wildfire.
