City of San Diego Expands Wildfire Prevention Program With CitroTech Following Pilot That Reduced Encampment Fires by 39%

A new state grant will help more than double deployment of CitroTech’s environmentally friendly fire inhibitor to protect high-risk sites and critical evacuation corridors

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CitroTech (NYSE AM: CITR), a specialty chemical company developing environmentally responsible fire retardant solutions, and the City of San Diego announced funding to expand their wildfire prevention and mitigation programs, building on a first-of-its-kind pilot that reduced encampment-related fires by 39% and recorded zero reignitions in treated areas.

Supported by the new $1.5 million state-funded grant from California District 76, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department will more than double its deployment of CitroTech's EPA-recognized long-term fire inhibitor, extending coverage to additional high-risk communities, former encampment sites, and critical evacuation corridors.

The state funds will be used to purchase $200,000 worth of CitroTech’s product. The expansion builds on a 2025 pilot — funded through a $367,000 grant from the San Diego River Conservancy — that treated 467 acres throughout the San Diego River watershed, prioritizing known wildfire evacuation corridors and documented encampment locations. As part of a broader wildfire prevention initiative that also included targeted brush management and weed abatement, the pilot treated over thirty-six former encampment sites and demonstrated measurable public safety benefits by reducing wildfire risk in environmentally sensitive areas where traditional fuel reduction methods were too difficult or risky to deploy.

All treated sites have and will continue to be mapped and made publicly viewable through the City’s ArcGIS platform, providing transparency into deployment locations.

“Encampment-related fires remain a challenge in California’s wildland-urban interface areas, so it was important to conduct a pilot like this to evaluate CitroTech in some of the City’s highest-risk areas under real field conditions,” said Tony Tosca, Deputy Chief, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. “As a result, we saw a measurable 39% reduction overall. CitroTech has shown itself to be an effective tool for reducing fire risk in locations where traditional fuel management staffing and funding is limited. Community feedback has been very positive, and these results helped make the case for expanding the program.”

The partnership between CitroTech and San Diego also highlights the growing role of environmentally responsible wildfire mitigation strategies in protecting communities. CitroTech is the only long-term fire inhibitor recognized under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Safer Choice program and the first to meet its Clean Water Act standards, delivering inhibitors that are uniquely formulated to reduce fire risk without introducing harmful chemicals or heavy metals into ecosystems.

Unlike conventional methods that rely on mechanical vegetation removal or prescribed burns, CitroTech makes it possible for fire agencies to protect landscapes and community infrastructure while preserving native vegetation and avoiding impacts to waterways and wildlife habitat. The product's environmentally responsible formulation, which has undergone extensive third-party validation, also eliminated many of the permitting hurdles associated with traditional treatment approaches, allowing crews to act quickly in high-risk areas.

“The success and growth of this program reflects what happens when communities take a meaningful step toward prevention-focused wildfire management,” said Kevin Schaff, Global Head of Business Development and Partnerships at CitroTech. “Together with the City of San Diego, we’re demonstrating how municipalities and firefighting agencies can operationalize wildfire prevention in high-risk corridors using data-driven deployment and environmentally responsible solutions that complement existing mitigation strategies. It’s an approach that’s increasingly shaping the future of wildfire resilience and readiness.”

As communities across the West seek more proactive approaches to reduce fire risk, CitroTech’s work in San Diego provides a proven, practical model for how cities nationwide can protect critical infrastructure and community assets while supporting environmental resilience.

About CitroTech Inc.

CitroTech Inc. (NYSE AM: CITR) is manufacturing and deploying the CitroTech family of innovative, environmentally safe fire prevention solutions for homes, wood products, and wildfire prevention and asset protection. CitroTech is the only long-term fire inhibitor recognized by the EPA Safer Choice program and tested to UL Greenguard Gold standards, providing effective and scientifically validated wildfire mitigation while safeguarding human and environmental health. The company’s growing patent portfolio, recurring-revenue model, and scalable approach support its long-term growth and market expansion. For more information, visit www.citrotech.com.