Wildfire mitigation in Alberta boosted by $7M provincial investment

It's dry in the forested areas of the foothills west of Calgary, and the province has announced $7 million in funds to help be more prepared for wildfires.

The province has announced plans to bolster Alberta’s wildfire preparedness with a $7 million investment.

Mike Ellis, minister of public safety and emergency services, made the announcement at a news conference in Strathmore on Friday.

The funding will be used to create six new Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) teams to protect against wildfires.

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The teams are comprised of firefighters with specialized training and equipment.

There are two existing teams based out of Clearwater County and High Level.

“We are effectively quadrupling the number of Wildland Urban Interface teams in Alberta to ensure the safety of Albertans’ businesses, neighbourhoods and critical infrastructure during wildfires,” Ellis said.

The WUI program is a partnership between the province and local fire services, and includes funding from the federal government.

It targets areas where homes, farms or industrial sites border on or mix with natural vegetation at risk from wildfires.

“Fires that occur in these areas between forests, grasslands and populated communities are often challenging and demand the expertise of both wildland and structural firefighters,” explained a Friday news release.

Areas receiving the funding include:

• Town of Strathmore;
• Town of Hinton;
• Town of Slave Lake;
• Lac La Biche County;
• Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council, and
• Kananaskis Improvement District.

Each new WUI team will receive $1.09 million over two to three years for personnel costs, administrative support, equipment, maintenance and travel costs.

Strathmore Mayor Pat Fule says participation in the WUI program allows the town to strengthen its firefighting capabilities and build a sustainable response model for wildfires.