EPA Opens $13.5 Million in Wildfire Smoke Preparedness Grants Before April 15
April 2, 2026 · 2 min read
Claire Cummings
The Environmental Protection Agency is accepting applications for $13.5 million in Wildfire Smoke Preparedness in Community Buildings grants, with individual awards ranging from $350,000 to $2.5 million. The deadline is April 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
EPA anticipates funding 8 to 11 projects over three-year performance periods, targeting buildings where vulnerable populations — children, the elderly, and people with respiratory conditions — gather during smoke events.
What the Grants Fund: From HVAC Upgrades to Cleaner Air Shelters
The program supports a broad range of activities designed to reduce indoor wildfire smoke exposure. Eligible projects include upgrading and repairing HVAC systems, deploying portable air cleaners, establishing cleaner air shelters, conducting indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring, weatherization improvements, and community smoke readiness planning and outreach.
The breadth of eligible activities means applicants can design projects tailored to their community's specific wildfire risk profile, whether that involves retrofitting a school gymnasium as an emergency clean-air refuge or installing particulate matter sensors across a network of senior centers.
Who Can Apply and What It Costs
Eligible applicants include states, federally recognized Tribes, public preschools, local educational agencies, and nonprofit organizations. The program requires a 10% cost-share, though EPA may waive this requirement for facilities located in economically distressed communities — a provision worth investigating for under-resourced applicants.
Applications are submitted through Grants.gov under notice EPA-OAR-ORIA-25-03.
Why This Matters Now
With wildfire seasons growing longer and more severe across the western United States, demand for smoke-resilient community infrastructure has outpaced available funding. This program addresses a gap that traditional FEMA disaster grants do not cover — proactive preparedness rather than post-disaster response. Organizations in fire-prone regions that have been absorbing smoke mitigation costs out of operating budgets now have a dedicated federal funding stream.
Grant seekers can track this and other environmental funding opportunities on grantedai.com.
For in-depth analysis of EPA smoke preparedness funding strategies, visit the Granted blog.