Federal grants are now available to help Pennsylvania's rural communities better guard against the threat of fires in forested, undeveloped and unprotected areas.

Local firefighting forces in rural areas or communities with fewer than 10,000 residents qualify for the aid, which is used for training and equipment purchases directly related to fighting brush and forest fires.

Grant applications must be electronically submitted through DCNR's eGrant webpage by 4 p.m. May 22.

Priority will be placed on those requests seeking funds for projects including the purchase of wildfire suppression equipment and protective clothing. Grants also may be used for purchasing mobile or portable radios, installing dry hydrants, wildfire prevention and mitigation work, training wildfire fighters, or converting and maintaining federal excess vehicles.

These vehicles are presented to the local departments exhibiting the greatest needs and those that commit to outfitting them for fire suppression. Aid is granted on a cost-share basis.

Grants cannot exceed 50 percent of the actual expenditures of local, public and private nonprofit organizations in the agreement.

The maximum grant that will be considered from any fire company in 2014 is $7,500.

For information, contact the bureau's Division of Forest Fire Protection at 717-787-2925; email to ra-ffp@state.pa.us or visit dcnr.state.pa.us (click on Apply for Grants, then eGrants Opportunities).