ORS 477.855 Wildfire Prepared Structure Program; implementing grant program; rules

In collaboration with the Department of Consumer and Business Services, the Department of the State Fire Marshal shall establish and implement a grant program called the Wildfire Prepared Structure Program to facilitate the retrofitting of dwellings existing on September 26, 2025, as well as dwellings constructed following wildfire damage, to be resistant and resilient to wildfire.

To implement the program, the Department of the State Fire Marshal shall:

Publish a list of eligible retrofits and materials that reduce the vulnerability of structures to wildfire and flying embers, as identified in section R327 of the Oregon Residential Specialty Code or other relevant industry best practices and standards.

Consider the relative cost-effectiveness of the retrofits and materials.

Award individual grants to persons and block grants to counties for the counties to award as individual grants to persons.

Establish ranking and criteria for awarding individual grants that include a preference for projects that:

Benefit persons who live in the wildland-urban interface, as defined pursuant to ORS 477.015 and 477.027.

Benefit persons who implement defensible space requirements described in ORS 476.392.

Benefit persons in socially vulnerable communities.

Benefit low-income persons who have demonstrated financial need.

Benefit persons whose homes have been destroyed or significantly damaged by a wildfire for which authority has been exercised under the Emergency Conflagration Act set out in ORS 476.510 to 476.610.

Establish formats by which persons who receive individual grants and counties that receive block grants must report to the State Fire Marshal.

A person who receives an individual grant shall:

Complete the grant project on a timeline approved when the individual grant is awarded.

Report to the State Fire Marshal in a format designated pursuant to subsection (2)(e) of this section.

A county that receives a block grant shall report to the State Fire Marshal in a format designated pursuant to subsection (2)(e) of this section.

The department, and counties that receive block grants, shall accept applications for individual grants:

At least once per year, for dwellings existing on September 26, 2025, on a date or dates determined by the department.

As needed, for dwellings constructed following wildfire damage.

The department may adopt rules as needed to implement this section, in consultation with other agencies, local governments, nongovernmental organizations and the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council.