DNR 1168 Fire District Assistance Grant Program (WA 1168)
A state-funded grant program to improve the capacity, capability, and safety of rural and volunteer fire service entities that help suppress wildland fires. Includes an Operations grant track and a PPE/Communications track, covering vehicles (acquisition, refurbishment, or conversion), equipment, training, prevention activities, and incident pre-positioning.
Who it is for
Washington fire service entities, oriented toward rural and volunteer fire districts and departments that protect rural communities and play a cooperative role in wildland fire suppression.
Department types: Volunteer, Combination
An honest note on fit
A strong fit for a rural or volunteer Washington fire district with wildland responsibility, including for vehicles. Oriented to wildland capability, so a purely structural urban department is a weaker fit. DNR also runs a separate surplus engine program in the fall that transfers retired engines to wildfire-prone districts, a low-cost way to add apparatus if you can cover transport.
Before you start
How you apply: Apply directly to the funder.
Apply directly to DNR. This is state-appropriated money, distinct from the federal VFA program DNR also administers.
Match required: Varies by track. The related Wildland Fire Assistance (VFA) grants are a 50 percent match; confirm the current 1168 terms in the guidelines.
How to apply
- Review the current 1168 grant program guidelines on the DNR Fire District Assistance page to confirm eligibility and the open track.
- Choose your track: the Operations grant or the PPE/Communications grant.
- Complete the application fully, with an authorized fire district or department representative's signature.
- Submit by one of the accepted methods before the deadline.
- If awarded, complete the project and provide DNR all receipts within the allowed period, typically one year.
Deadline: Annual, with application windows that open and close on specific dates. A 2026 Operations grant round opened in March 2026. Check the DNR Fire District Assistance page for the current window. (Annual cycle)
Funding: DNR has aimed to award a minimum of 50 Operations grants of about $20,000 statewide in a recent round, plus a separate PPE/Communications track. Amounts vary by year and appropriation.
Verified as of 2026-05-31. Programs are checked periodically against their official source. Funding details and deadlines change. Confirm the current requirements on the official program page before you apply.