Committee hears bill to fund home-hardening grants for wildfire-prone homes

House Bill 3172 would establish a wildfire-prepared-structure grant program to subsidize fire-resistant rebuilding and retrofits for homes and accessory dwelling units in the wildland-urban interface, the House Climate, Energy and Environment Committee heard March 6.

The bill would direct the Oregon State Fire Marshal, in collaboration with the Department of Consumer and Business Services, to create and run a grant program that pays for specified “home hardening” measures for people rebuilding after wildfire and for proactive retrofits for low-income homeowners living in higher-risk areas. Representative Pam Marsh, the bill sponsor, told the committee the proposal includes a dash-2 amendment that modifies eligibility and award criteria.

Marsh said home hardening complements defensible-space work and is currently missing from Oregon’s mitigation strategy. “Home hardening means using building materials and design choices that reduce the chances of wildfire,” Marsh said, listing examples such as heat-resistant siding, metal roofing and double‑paned windows. She described the bill as a modest way to support fire…