Crest Fire Safe Council has been awarded its third SAFE Grant from the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation and the San Diego River Conservancy, according to East County Magazine.

The 2026 grant will fund a wildfire education initiative developed with San Miguel Fire & Rescue. More than 260 Crest School students, from transitional kindergarten through eighth grade, are expected to take part in 10 to 15 interactive presentations led by fire personnel.

East County Magazine reported that lessons will focus on wildfire risk, defensible space, home hardening, emergency preparedness and evacuation planning. Younger students will attend assemblies in Coyote Hall, while middle school students will receive instruction through science classes.

The grant also supports a community fire safety art contest, a new weatherproof outdoor bulletin board at the Crest Clubhouse and a free document-shredding event intended to reduce combustible paper materials around homes.

For Santee and East County residents, the Crest project highlights the kind of neighborhood-level preparation that matters during wildfire season. The council previously used grant funding for curbside chipping, reflective address markers and outreach on defensible space and home hardening, East County Magazine reported.