The Department of the Interior has allocated $5.08 million to help local governments improve their wildfire response capabilities. This funding is part of the Slip-on Tanker Pilot Program, which aims to provide small and remote emergency response agencies with equipment that can enhance their preparedness and ability to protect lives, property, and infrastructure.
“President Trump knows local firefighting agencies are often the first to respond when a wildfire ignites and took strong action to ensure they had the funding needed to get the job done for the American people,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “This program delivers practical tools that allow local departments to move faster, use existing equipment more effectively and respond before fires threaten communities.”
Through this initiative, eligible local governments—those serving areas with populations of 50,000 or fewer—can receive grants ranging from $10,000 to $500,000. The program allows these agencies to purchase slip-on tanker units, which can be used to quickly convert trucks or other vehicles into wildland fire engines. This approach enables departments to increase their firefighting capacity without investing in new apparatus.
A total of 97 local emergency response agencies across 26 states have received funding under this announcement. Recipients serve communities identified as having moderate to high wildfire risk according to assessments by the Wildfire Risk to Communities tool.
The Trump administration has made enhancing local wildfire response a priority under Executive Order 14308, Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response. The funds are expected to help agencies respond more rapidly when wildfires break out nearby and contribute support for broader interagency efforts in fighting wildland fires.
A new round of grant opportunities through the Slip-on Tanker Pilot Program will be announced in early 2026. Information about future application windows will be available on grants.gov.
