How Alberta is preparing for wildfire season

Alberta Wildfire said hiring for this season is underway as the province's official start to wildfire season is less than two weeks away.

Although much of Alberta is under a thick blanket of snow following a winter storm, the province’s official start to wildfire season is less than two weeks away, and crews have been busy preparing.

Christie Tucker, information unit manager with Alberta Wildfire, said the province has the earliest start to wildfire season in Canada.

“It’s been a busy few years for us here at Alberta Wildfire, starting with 2023 which was our record-breaking season where 2.2 million hectares of forest burned,” said Tucker. “And we’ve had two heavy seasons since then.”

The central boreal area from Peace River to Lac La Biche saw a severe lack of rain, leading to a high volume of wildfires starting in May.

Tucker said about 60 per cent of wildfires in Alberta are human-caused, but that doesn’t mean they’ve been deliberately set.

“It could be someone out camping who hasn’t put out their campfire properly, or someone using equipment that’s throwing off sparks at their rural home that’s lighting grass nearby,” she said. “There are all sorts of activities that people do that can cause wildfires.”

The number of wildfires and the total area burned in the 2025 season was about eight to 10 per cent higher than what Alberta has seen over a five-year average, which includes the record-breaking 2023 season.

About 40 per cent of wildfires are caused by lightning which are typically seen in the hot summer months.

Last year, Alberta Wildfire brought in more than 1,000 Canadian and international firefighters to support local crews.

There are currently 20 Albertan firefighters helping crews in Australia.

“Oftentimes, as it works around the world, a very active fire season in one area is an opportunity for us, if we are in a quiet time, to send resources,” said Tucker.

This year Alberta Wildfire is amping up its efforts in preparation for another season.

Eight new helicopters will be added to the province’s fleet, including three equipped with night vision to assist with 24-hour operations.

A five-person crew will be added to the hoist program’s four existing crews. The hoist program allows helicopters to drop and pick up firefighters in areas that would otherwise be difficult to get to.

“Helicopters are extremely important to our work,” said Tucker. “They help us reach a lot of access across the province that we need quickly.”

Tucker added that hiring for the 2026 season is well underway.

“We are preparing as much as we can to mitigate the effects of wildfires.”

The Government of Alberta recently announced a $400-million agreement with De Havilland Aircraft of Canada to acquire five new Canadair 515 amphibious firefighting aircraft in an effort to strengthen the province’s response to increasingly severe wildfire seasons.