Volunteer Fire Assistance grants have been awarded to area volunteer fire departments.

The awards, which were recently announced by DNR Director Dan Bortner, will be used for training, installation of dry hydrants, or to purchase necessary firefighting equipment and gear to combat wild land fires. The grants are administered by the DNR Division of Forestry and made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

Recipients were selected based on population density, acres of public lands protected and wildland fire reporting to DNR Fire Control Headquarters. The awarded grants range from $1,250 to $5,000.