Feds cancel $35 million wildfire prevention grant for Napa County

NAPA, Calif. (KGO) -- In the North Bay, a federal grant program designed to help reduce the threat from wildfires has been abruptly canceled for Napa County. The surprise move is leaving officials perplexed and disappointed, because it's putting funding for wildfire prevention in jeopardy.

"So the fires in '17 came down right here, the 2020 fires came down here and jumped across the valley," said Chris Morisoli.

Rutherford grape grower Chris Morisoli showed us where devastating wildfires have made their mark on the Napa Valley. As a volunteer firefighter, he knows the next wildfire is inevitable.

"One thing's for sure, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. Fires are a constant reality and threat in Napa County, if we don't get ahead of that early with prevention, you know the consequence," said Morisoli.

But a federal decision to cancel Napa County's funding grant for wildfire prevention is leaving millions of dollars for mitigation work in jeopardy.

"This is a $50 million investment focused on mitigating large scale wildfires in our communities," said Napa County CEO, Ryan Alsop.

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Alsop says the elimination of FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities or BRIC grant program, came as a total surprise.

"This is a big deal, unfortunately we had to read about it on Friday, nobody called to tell us, they still haven't," said Alsop.

Word of the cancellation came in a news release from FEMA:

"The BRIC program was yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program. It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters."

County officials believe the move is part of cuts from the new Department of Government efficiency, or DOGE.

"So it's a bit of a head scratcher, we think it's money really well spent," Alsop said.

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He says the $35 Million grant would have leveraged a local match from the county and private funds.

Since 2015, Napa County has seen 26 major wildfires; today more than one-third of residents live in designated wildfire hazard zones.

Those fires, claiming lives and homes.

"Being a fan of efficiency, wanting the Federal Government to work, I agree. But the problem is, it's way more expensive after it's already started," said Morisoli.

Now the County is regrouping, in hopes of preventing or minimizing the next wildfire disaster.

"We'll have to pivot, wildfires are not a someday emergency - it's an emergency right now," said Alsop.