Fire Hardening Grant Deadline Extended

Development Services

People who own a home – including a manufactured home – or business that was damaged or destroyed by the 2020 Oregon wildfires can receive money for using more fire-resistant methods and materials when they rebuild. Owners who have already rebuilt also qualify for reimbursement, and even those who weren’t the owner at the time of the fires could still qualify.

Last year, Jackson County partnered with the Oregon Building Codes Division to launch a grant program to help owners of homes and businesses rebuild after the 2020 wildfires. The program has survived the legislative deadline and the time to apply has been extended. Grant money is available to residents in the burn areas of the South Obenchain and Almeda fires, including those burn areas within the city limits of Phoenix and Talent. The grants apply to fire hardening work completed since the wildfires once the home or business receives a certificate of occupancy or completion. Owners also do not have to be the original owner, and the grant can be retroactive for work that already received a certificate of occupancy or completion but did not apply for the grant previously.

“Besides ensuring your property has a defensible space clear of combustible brush and vegetation, fire hardening can help to better protect your home or business from fire dangers,” said Ted Zuk, Development Services Director and Building Official for Jackson County.

Fire hardening is an important tool to help make homes more resistant to fire. Fire hardening includes actions that can be taken to make a home or business more resistant to damage from a wildfire, such as using materials for siding and roofing that resist ignition during a wildfire, installing fire-resistant windows to protect openings, or using attic ventilation devices that help reduce ember intrusion.

“These improvements are particularly effective at preventing ignition from embers, which can travel great distances from wildfires,” said Alana Cox, administrator of the Oregon Building Codes Division. “We hope this program will help people affected by the wildfires build back more fire-resistant communities.”

To qualify for the program, a person must own a home or business that was damaged or destroyed in the 2020 Oregon wildfires. Even if someone purchased a building in the damaged areas after the fires, they may still be eligible to receive funds for rebuilding.

There is a menu of fire hardening improvements, including more fire-resistant roofs, siding, and windows, that qualify for grant money (see table below). Once one or more qualifying improvements have been completed, an eligible applicant can receive grant money through the Jackson County Development Services Department.

The following improvements will be incentivized by the program, and the listed incentive amounts will be disbursed to eligible applicants once they complete qualifying fire hardening improvements.

 

ELEMENT OPTIONS GRANT AMOUNT
Roofing Class B or Class A $2,200
External wall covering

Must be constructed from one of the following:

  • Noncombustible
  • Ignition-resistant
  • Heavy timber assembly
  • Log wall assembly
 $1,750
Ventilation

Options:

  1. Vents designed to resist ember and flame intrusion
  2. Unvented attic assembly
 $350

Overhangs, cantilevers,

and projections

Underside of eaves, soffits, cantilevers, etc., protected by one of the following:

  • Noncombustible material
  • Ignition-resistant material
  • Exterior portion of 1-hour wall assembly
  • 1 layer of 5 /8-inch Type X exterior gypsum sheathing or equivalent
 $400

Walking surfaces of

porches, balconies, and

decks

Must be constructed from one of the following:

  • Noncombustible
  • Ignition resistant
  • Exterior fire-retardant treated wood
  • Materials meeting ASTM E2632
 $550
Windows and skylights

Protected by one of the following:

  • Tempered glass
  • 20-minute fire-resistance-rated assembly
 $550

Skirting (manufactured

homes only)

Made from one of the following skirting materials:

  • Noncombustible
  • Ignition resistan
 $500

Accessory structures

within 50 feet of a

residential or

commercial building

 Improve the structure with both the roofing and the exterior wall covering elements above. Up to two structures are eligible for the grant. $500 per structure; $1,000 maximum

To learn more and apply online, visit https://www.oregon.gov/bcd/Pages/firehardening.aspx Or at Jackson County’s Development Services website.

808 West Main Street, Medford, between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm.

General info and/or paper application can be requested at JCRebuild@jacksoncountyor.gov

or by calling the WRPC at 541-774-3070