GUEST COMMENTARY
A Property risk assessment can help homeowners understand their wildfire risk, but awareness alone does not make a home safer. Risk is reduced only when that knowledge is translated into action.
That is the purpose of the Hill Country Fire Coalition of Texas’ new Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program. The program helps eligible Kendall County residents and neighborhoods that need financial or physical help completing wildfire mitigation work identified through a property risk assessment (PRA) A PRA is intended to educate and inform property owners about the wildfire risks specific to their homes and land. During the assessment, the homeowner walks the property with a trained mitigation specialist to identify vulnerabilities and better understand practical steps that can reduce those risks.
The assessment provides a roadmap, but the work must still be completed.
Removing combustible materials near a home, clearing vegetation from critical areas, addressing ember-entry points and completing other recommended improvements can significantly reduce the likelihood that a home will ignite during a wildfire.
Unfortunately, some property owners cannot afford the work or are physically unable to complete it themselves.
The Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program is designed to help bridge that gap, turning recommendations into meaningful improvements that can help protect lives, homes and first responders.
You must be a Kendall County resident, and the property must be in Kendall County. There are three ways to qualify:
• Individual Financial Assistance: For residents who meet the program’s financial eligibility requirements.
• Individual Physical Assistance: For residents who are physically unable to perform the recommended mitigation work.
• Neighborhood Assistance: For HOAs, POAs or organized neighborhoods without an association that can demonstrate financial need and lack sufficient resources to complete wildfire mitigation work identified through a community risk assessment.
There is no cost-share requirement for approved individual applicants. Neighborhood and community applicants are required to provide a cost share through in-kind services that help expand wildfire risk-reduction efforts throughout their respective neighborhood.
This approach allows participating communities to contribute directly to the program while extending its benefits to more residents.
The first step for every applicant is to complete a PRA through the Hill Country Fire Coalition. Once the assessment is complete, the applicant should:
• Obtain a Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program application by either making a request to the Mitigation Specialist during your PRA or by emailing info@hcfcoftx. com.
• Secure an estimate from a qualified contractor for the work identified in the PRA.
• Complete the application and include all required documentation.
• Submit the completed application to info@hcfcoftx. com by Aug. 21, 2026.
Wildfire mitigation is more than just protecting a single home. When one property owner reduces hazardous vegetation and improves the area immediately surrounding a structure, those efforts can also benefit neighboring properties and provide firefighters with a safer environment in which to work.
Kendall County’s wildfire risk will not be solved through education alone. Property owners must understand their risks, take reasonable steps to reduce them, and work together to create safer, more resilient neighborhoods.
The Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program is intended to help make that possible. According to Christie Wiley, director of the Coalition, “Ultimately, our goal is simple: reduce wildfire risk, protect lives and property, and make conditions safer for the first responders who will be there when our community needs them most.”
Don’t be fooled. Although the recent rainfall provides short-term relief, that moisture can evaporate quickly as temperatures rise, winds increase and dry conditions return. Today’s green grass can soon become tomorrow’s tinder, primed to burn.
To request a Property Risk Assessment or obtain a grant application, contact the Hill Country Fire Coalition of Texas at [email protected].
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