Amador County – Fire safety grants are now available for assisting with fallen tree removal after the recent winter storms and another grant is available to help low-income seniors and the disabled to clear away defensible spaces around their homes.

Cathy Koos Breazeal, executive director of the Amador Fire Safe Council said the nonprofit organization has a couple of federal grants that can help residents clean up after these storms. Koos Breazeal said: “We can work until the funds run out” and she said people should call the Fire Safe Council for an appointment, at (209) 295-6200.

One of the programs is free roadside chipping, Koos Breazeal said, and it has no qualifications. But it does have some requirements. People must cut and stack their branches and the Fire Safe Council crew will chip it. She said “residents should drag and stack their downed branches near their driveway or the street,” but should “make sure they won’t fall into the street or impede the snowplows,” so that “the chipper crew can drive up to the stack.” She said branches need to be stacked with cut edges facing the driveway, so the chipper crew can easily grab the branch and shove it in the chipper.

Another federal grant program helps low-income seniors and the disabled to create defensible space around their homes. The program is free to qualifying residents. Koos Breazeal said: “Our contractor will create defensible space around your home at no cost.” Qualifications are that you must be age 62 and have a low income, that being a household of 2 with an income of $23,000. Or, you may have “verifiable disability and low income.”

For more information, call (209) 295-6200.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.