The City of Santee has been awarded $7,284,240 through FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to reduce wildfire risk along the San Diego River corridor. The project targets approximately 300 acres within Santee's jurisdiction — a stretch encompassing residential neighborhoods, public parks, recreational trails, and biologically sensitive riparian habitat.

The San Diego River corridor has grown increasingly vulnerable to wildfire due to invasive vegetation, accumulated dead plant material, and frequent ignition sources near developed areas. The project is structured in two phases. Phase 1, currently underway, focuses on environmental review, biological assessments, and the development of a detailed Fuels Treatment Plan. No vegetation removal will occur until all environmental permits and approvals are secured.

Phase 2 — the physical implementation — would involve clearing non-native and invasive plants, removing dead and dying vegetation, and creating defensible space near structures adjacent to the river corridor. That work is anticipated to begin in Fall/Winter 2026, contingent on additional funding and regulatory permits.

The San Diego River Conservancy is partnering with the city and contributing $907,568 toward the required cost-sharing component of the grant.

For Santee homeowners living near the river corridor, the project represents a significant investment in community-level fire protection — one that complements the city's ongoing push for individual defensible space compliance ahead of what forecasters anticipate will be an active fire season across Southern California. Additional information is available on the city's website at cityofsanteeca.gov.