{"id":46540,"date":"2026-01-14T08:35:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T13:35:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=46540"},"modified":"2026-01-13T20:36:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T01:36:00","slug":"volunteer-fire-departments-in-17-maryland-counties-get-167314-for-rural-wildfire-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2026\/01\/14\/volunteer-fire-departments-in-17-maryland-counties-get-167314-for-rural-wildfire-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteer Fire Departments in 17 Maryland Counties Get $167,314 for Rural Wildfire Protection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Volunteer Fire Assistance grants awarded to 55 local responder agencies<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"Firefighters

Volunteer fire departments are essential to helping control the spread of wildland fires in Maryland. The Volunteer Fire Assistance Program provides funds to help local firefighters equip and prepare for these efforts. Maryland DNR photo.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service is providing Volunteer Fire Assistance grants to 55 volunteer fire departments in 17 counties across the state. The funded projects help volunteer fire companies enhance wildland fire protection in rural communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the 2025 grant cycle, finalized in December, the Maryland Forest Service is providing $167,314 in match funding to complete $370,376 in total project cost. The grants match up to 50 percent of project cost with a maximum grant of $3,500 per department. For this grant cycle, all but two Maryland applicants received a grant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Funding for this program is provided by the USDA Forest Service.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maryland Volunteer Fire Assistance grant recipients by county, along with the grant amount and total project cost in parentheses, are:<\/span><\/p>\n

Allegany County<\/b><\/p>\n

Barton Hose Company No. 1<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,913)<\/span><\/p>\n

Borden Shaft Volunteer Fire Company No. 1<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,052)<\/span><\/p>\n

Bowman’s Addition Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$1,830<\/span>
\n<\/span>($3,660)<\/span><\/p>\n

Cresaptown Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$2,850<\/span>
\n<\/span>($5,700)<\/span><\/p>\n

Frostburg Fire No. 1<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,450<\/span>
\n<\/span>($6,900)<\/span><\/p>\n

LaVale Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,250<\/span>
\n<\/span>($6,500)<\/span><\/p>\n

Mount Savage Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,000)<\/span><\/p>\n

Rawlings Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,000)<\/span><\/p>\n

Baltimore County<\/b><\/p>\n

Kingsville Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$2,650<\/span>
\n<\/span>($5,300)<\/span><\/p>\n

Calvert County<\/b><\/p>\n

North Beach Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$1,520<\/span>
\n<\/span>($3,040)<\/span><\/p>\n

Caroline County<\/b><\/p>\n

Greensboro Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$1,688<\/span>
\n<\/span>($3,375)<\/span><\/p>\n

Preston Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,408)<\/span><\/p>\n

Ridgely Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500 <\/span>
\n<\/span>($8,063)<\/span><\/p>\n

Carroll County<\/b><\/p>\n

Hampstead Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($9,000)<\/span><\/p>\n

Manchester Volunteer Fire Engine and Hook and Ladder Company No. 1<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,788)<\/span><\/p>\n

Cecil County<\/b><\/p>\n

Hacks Point Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$2,950<\/span>
\n<\/span>($5,900)<\/span><\/p>\n

The Community Fire Company of Perryville<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($8,105)<\/span><\/p>\n

Charles County<\/b><\/p>\n

Bryans Road Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad<\/span>
\n<\/span>$750<\/span>
\n<\/span>($1,500)<\/span><\/p>\n

Cobb Island Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($8,055)<\/span><\/p>\n

Hughesville Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad Inc.<\/span>
\n<\/span>$570<\/span>
\n<\/span>($1,140)<\/span><\/p>\n

La Plata Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,650)<\/span><\/p>\n

Tenth District Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($34,403)<\/span><\/p>\n

Dorchester County<\/b><\/p>\n

Church Creek Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$2,762<\/span>
\n<\/span>($5,523)<\/span><\/p>\n

East New Market Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,554)<\/span><\/p>\n

Eldorado-Brookview Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$2,820<\/span>
\n<\/span>($5,640)<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurlock Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,353)<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Linkwood – Salem Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,250)<\/span><\/p>\n

Secretary Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,481<\/span>
\n<\/span>($6,961)<\/span><\/p>\n

Vienna Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,002)<\/span><\/p>\n

Garrett County<\/b><\/p>\n

Accident Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,118<\/span>
\n<\/span>($6,235)<\/span><\/p>\n

Bittinger Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,000)<\/span><\/p>\n

Deep Creek Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,488<\/span>
\n<\/span>($6,976)<\/span><\/p>\n

Kitzmiller Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,000)<\/span><\/p>\n

Oakland Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$1,659<\/span>
\n<\/span>($3,318)<\/span><\/p>\n

Howard County<\/b><\/p>\n

West Friendship Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$2,901<\/span>
\n<\/span>($5,802)<\/span><\/p>\n

Kent County<\/b><\/p>\n

Galena Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,400<\/span>
\n<\/span>($6,800)<\/span><\/p>\n

Prince George\u2019s County<\/b><\/p>\n

Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad<\/span>
\n<\/span>$1,215<\/span>
\n<\/span>($2,429)<\/span><\/p>\n

Queen Anne’s County<\/b><\/p>\n

Grasonville Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($12,000)<\/span><\/p>\n

Sudlersville Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($10,547)<\/span><\/p>\n

Somerset County<\/b><\/p>\n

Fairmount Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$2,248<\/span>
\n<\/span>($4,495)<\/span><\/p>\n

St. Mary\u2019s County<\/b><\/p>\n

Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,345)<\/span><\/p>\n

Washington County<\/b><\/p>\n

Clear Spring Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,441<\/span>
\n<\/span>($6,881)<\/span><\/p>\n

First Hose Company of Boonsboro<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,000)<\/span><\/p>\n

Funkstown Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$2,866<\/span><\/p>\n

($5,731)<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Hancock Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($10,000)<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Leitersburg Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$2,839<\/span>
\n<\/span>($5,678)<\/span><\/p>\n

Longmeadow Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,428<\/span>
\n<\/span>($6,855)<\/span><\/p>\n

Mt. Aetna Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,276)<\/span><\/p>\n

Potomac Valley Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,000)<\/span><\/p>\n

Sharpsburg Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,240)<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Williamsport Volunteer Fire and EMS<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,464<\/span>
\n<\/span>($6,927)<\/span><\/p>\n

Wicomico County<\/b><\/p>\n

Hebron Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$1,750<\/span>
\n<\/span>($3,500)<\/span><\/p>\n

Parsonsburg Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,500<\/span>
\n<\/span>($7,373)<\/span><\/p>\n

Pittsville Volunteer Fire Department<\/span>
\n<\/span>$2,931<\/span>
\n<\/span>($5,862)<\/span><\/p>\n

Powellville Volunteer Fire Company<\/span>
\n<\/span>$3,480.38<\/span>
\n<\/span>($6,960.76)<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Volunteer Fire Assistance grants awarded to 55 local responder agencies The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service is providing Volunteer Fire Assistance grants to 55 volunteer fire departments in 17 counties across the state. The funded projects help volunteer fire companies enhance wildland fire protection in rural communities. For the 2025 grant cycle, finalized  Read the Rest…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[957,1965,23],"tags":[3565,3326,3834],"class_list":["post-46540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-appnews","category-maryland-forest-service","category-land","tag-grants","tag-volunteer-fire-assistance-program","tag-wildland-fires"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46540","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46540"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46540\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46543,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46540\/revisions\/46543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}