Little Rock, Arkansas – As a part of the 2021 Volunteer Fire Assistance grant from the United States Forest Service, Arkansas’ Rural Fire Protection program received $279,562.
The money will be used to purchase and distribute 87 Wildfire Suppression Kits to rural volunteer fire departments, according to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.
According to officials, since 2014, 579 volunteer fire departments have received Wildfire Suppression Kits through the Rural Fire Protection program, officials said.
The kits will include lightweight wildfire-resistant coveralls and gloves, hand rakes, back-pack water pumps, and leaf blowers.
Several volunteer fire departments chosen include those in Region 8. They are:
Clay County
• Greenway Fire Department
Cleburne County
• Hopewell Fire Department
• Tumbling Shoals – Ida Fire Department
• Wilburn Fire Department
Craighead County
• Cash Fire Department
• Monette Fire Department
• Valley View Fire Department
Crittenden County
• Anthonyville Fire Department
• Turrell Fire Department
Greene County
• Western Greene County Fire Department
Jackson County
• Diaz Fire Department
• Weldon Fire Department
Lawrence County
• Portia Fire Department
Mississippi County
• Keiser Fire Department
Randolph County
• Dalton Fire Department
• Warm Springs Fire Department
Stone County
• Fox Fire Department
St. Francis County
• Widener Fire Department
White County
• Higginson Fire Department
Starting Aug. 2022, applications for next year’s Wildfire Protection Kit program can be submitted.