Interior awarded $5 million to 97 local emergency response agencies in January

The Department of the Interior announced up to $20 million in funding through the Slip-on Tanker Pilot Program to help small, remote local governments purchase slip-on tanker units that convert trucks and utility vehicles into wildland fire engines. Eligible applicants serve communities with populations of 50,000 or less and must be in areas rated moderate to high wildfire risk by the Wildfire Risk to Communities tool. Grants will range from $10,000 to $249,000, and applications are due on grants.gov by March 23, 2026. The announcement ties into Interior’s broader effort to establish the U.S. Wildland Fire Service and follows an earlier $5 million award to local agencies.