Are there grants for brush clearing in Prescott?

Yes. The City of Prescott offers a $500 matching grant for property in city limits and its Wildland Urban Interface zone, for cutting or clearing brush and trees and removing ladder fuels. Yavapai Firewise also reimburses mitigation costs under its grants.

Can I get a grant for work I've already done?

Usually not. Prescott says work may only occur after a grant award is confirmed, and Yavapai Firewise says work must be done during the grant period, not before it.

Can a contractor do the work under a grant?

The city's grant starts with an estimate of at least $1,000 for the mitigation work, and we can write that estimate. For Firewise grants, ask Yavapai Firewise about its current contractor rules before you hire anyone.

Do I have to pay up front?

Usually. The city's grant pays after the work is complete and you've filed the follow-up form. Firewise grants are reimbursements too, so plan to cover the full cost for a few months.

Wildfire Grants in Prescott, AZ | Brush Clearing Help

The programs at a glance

Program	Pays for	Amount	Open to
City of Prescott matching grant	Cutting and clearing brush and trees, removing ladder fuels	$500 match	Prescott city limits, in the city's WUI zone
Yavapai Firewise grants	Firewise mitigation costs	Set by each grant	Ask Yavapai Firewise; pays a homeowner, HOA or association
Arizona bark beetle cost share	Removing beetle-infested trees	Has been 50 percent	Qualifying private landowners

City of Prescott $500 matching grant

The Prescott Fire Department describes this as a matching grant for residents who create defensible space, including cutting or clearing brush and trees and removing ladder fuels. Grants are first come, first served, and each successful applicant gets one.

Who qualifies

The property is inside Prescott city limits.
It's in the Wildland Urban Interface zone designated by the city.
You own it, or you have the owner's written permission.
You have an estimate for at least $1,000 of mitigation work.

How it works

Get a written estimate of $1,000 or more. We can write that for you after the on-site walk.
Complete the city's online grant application, linked from the fire department's page.
A fire department representative visits to talk through the best approach for your property.
Wait for confirmation of your award. Work may only start after that.
Finish the work, then submit the follow-up form to get your reimbursement.

If you're not sure about the WUI zone, call the Wildfire Risk Manager at 928-777-1700, ext. 7065. The same office offers a courtesy risk assessment.

Yavapai Firewise grants

Yavapai Firewise runs a grant reimbursement process for Firewise mitigation. Paperwork goes through the group to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. The page doesn't list a fixed amount or who's eligible, so call 928-277-8032 to ask what's open now. Here's what the group does publish:

Timing: work must be done during the grant period, not before it.
Payment: you pay first, and a homeowner, HOA or association is reimbursed afterward.
Proof: cancelled checks or credit card receipts are accepted, cash isn't. Keep your invoices.
How long it takes: the state usually takes 60 to 120 days to pay Yavapai Firewise, and sometimes up to 180, especially in fire season. Yavapai Firewise then issues checks within two weeks.

Neighborhoods have an advantage here. Yavapai Firewise lists 61 Firewise Communities in the county, so check whether your HOA or road association is one of them before you apply alone.

Arizona bark beetle cost share

This one is for dying trees, not general brush. Arizona's forestry department has run a cost-share program that paid 50 percent of bark beetle tree removal for qualifying private landowners. The Yavapai Extension page links to a 2026 flyer for it, but the terms have changed over the years, so confirm before you schedule anything. Start by emailing foresthealth@dffm.az.gov. The same team offers free site assessments for suspected bark beetle damage.

Which one fits your town?

Prescott: start with the city grant, and ask about Yavapai Firewise too.
Prescott Valley, Chino Valley and Dewey-Humboldt: the city grant doesn't apply. Ask Yavapai Firewise, and get a free assessment from CAFMA.
Groom Creek and Williamson Valley: the city grant doesn't apply to these unincorporated areas. Ask Yavapai Firewise about current grants.

Where these grants come from

Go straight to the source for current rules, forms and funding. These are the official pages for each program.

City of Prescott: Prescott Fire Department wildfire risk page, the grant application and the grant follow-up form.
Yavapai Firewise: the grant reimbursement process and the Yavapai Firewise home page.
State of Arizona: the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, which funds the Firewise grants and runs the bark beetle cost share.
Yavapai County: the Yavapai County Extension bark beetle page, which links the 2026 cost-share flyer.

Before you apply

The most common mistake is starting too soon. The city requires a confirmed award before work begins, and Firewise costs must fall within the grant period. Get your estimate first, apply second, and schedule the work last.

Grants have limits and funds run out, so no one can promise you'll receive one, and we can't either. What we can do is give you a clear written scope, time the job around your approval and supply invoices and photos for your paperwork. Find the bigger budget picture in the cost guide.