According to Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen, Alberta is ready for the 2025 wildfire season thanks to historic funding in Budget 2025.
Loewen says that once passed, Budget 2025 will invest $160 million in base funding for wildfire personnel, equipment and training, as well as providing additional contracts for aircraft.
Being added to the province's firefighting arsenal in 2025 is another night vision-equipped helicopter which can allow firefighters to respond to fires around the clock, knocking them down before they get too large.
"Each year, we are reminded of the devastating impact that wildfires could have on our communities, our families and our landscape," said Loewen. "As the province enters the 2025 wildfire season, our government is focused on a three-pronged approach to tackle the threat of catastrophic wildfires."
The province is focusing on prevention, mitigation and readiness to respond.
As part of its mitigation efforts, the province continues to fund the Community Fireguard and FireSmart, which will enable communities in the Forest Protection Areas to have the tools they need to reduce wildfire risks.
Fireguard projects in the Bow Valley near Canmore, as well as other projects near Hinton and Whitecourt, will be seeing an additional $15 million allocated over the next three years, administered by the Forest Improvement Association of Alberta.
The province is also allocating $10.8 million, ensuring all Albertans can access FireSmart resources.
"There is nothing more critical than protecting Albertans, our homes and our communities from the effects of wildfires," said Loewen, in a media release. "Alberta is home to some of the best firefighting personnel in the world and through Budget 2025, we are making a major investment in our wildfire teams and communities, giving them the tools, training and support they need to prevent, mitigate and respond quickly to any challenge that may come up this wildfire season."
Loewen notes that a key part of fighting forest fires is preventing them from happening; he noted that progress has been made with 2024 seeing a significant reduction in human-caused forest fires. In 2024, there were 282 human-caused fires, down from 303 in 2023 and nearly 400 in 2022.
"It is more important than ever to continue building on that progress to further reduce the risk of future wildfires," notes the release. "As part of these efforts, Alberta’s government is renewing its commitment to public awareness and education campaigns on safe practices, while also enforcing fire bans when necessary."
As part of its 2025 firefighting efforts, Alberta is also increasing funding to the Alberta Emergency Management Agency by $10 million, to a total of $118 million.
"The Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) aims to strengthen the province's emergency preparedness and recovery efforts, collaborating with communities to enhance resilience and public safety," said Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Service Mike Ellis, via the release.
Finally, Alberta Wildfire is introducing a new pilot project in 2025.
Hoist-equipped helicopters are being introduced to the stable of equipment being used by crews, which can used to deploy crews to the site of remote and hard-to-reach areas, as well as provide emergency evacuation support if necessary.
While one helicopter and two crews have been secured for the 2025 fire season, if the project proves successful, it could be expanded by 2026.
In 2024, Alberta Wildfire responded to over 1,200 fires with over 700,000 hectares burnt.
To date, in 2025, Alberta Wildfire has responded to 21 wildfires and 78 hectares burnt, a reduction from the 34 fires and 306 hectares burnt at the same time last year.
