Province proactive on fires: minister
Alberta's strategies for combating wildfires in what is expected to be another busy wildfire season will include hiring and training seasonal staff earlier than last year, acquiring new equipment to allow for nighttime firefighting, and weekly wildfire updates to keep Albertans informed, officials say.
Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen spoke during Alberta Wildfire's first weekly update Thursday, saying while there are more wildfires so far in 2024 than at this point in the previous year, “early-season hiring and increased preparedness has enabled us to come at this wildfire season very strong.”
He said this year Alberta Wildfire has hired 297 wildland firefighters, 280 Firetack contracted firefighters and 182 seasonal support staff, in addition to the regular administrative and firefighting staff, with more crews being hired weekly until May 15.
Loewen touted Alberta Wildfire's hiring strategy as a major factor in its ability to proactively combat wildfires in 2024. The intent is to hire 900 new staff by May 15, with 500 already being trained. He said the province is bringing on up to 35 new hires a week heading into the deadline, when they intend to have all crews hired and properly trained. He said they are 39 per cent ahead of 2023 in terms of staffing.
As of April 18, Alberta Wildfire has fully extinguished 186 blazes, said Alberta Wildfire information unit manager Christie Tucker, who said there are currently 50 wildfires burning in the forest protection area of Alberta, four of which are considered “held.”
Tucker said a wildfire that started north of Obed Lake Tuesday is now under control, thanks to the work of firefighters and the luck of the sudden overnight snowfall. But she was quick to add that temporary dips in temperatures do not mean the end of wildfire season. Alberta is suffering from a longterm drought that still makes it possible for trees and grasses to burn, especially with the inordinately high winds as of late.
“While we've been working diligently to extinguish (wildfires), it does mean that firefighters are entering the spring with a heavier fire load than usual,” Tucker said. “We've already seen more than 500 hectares burned, 400 more than we had at this time last year.”
Along with naturally occurring forest fires caused by factors such as temperature, wind speeds and semi-frequent lightning strikes, Tucker said that, on average, 67 per cent of wildfires are caused by humans. As well, there is a small percentage of those wildfires that are considered “incendiary,” an umbrella category for specific man-made fires such as arsons, mischief and industrial activities, among other sources. Of manmade fires in 2023, 11 per cent were considered incendiary, compared to eight per cent so far in 2024.
Another strategy Loewen touted as a success was spending money on advertising campaigns that proactively informed Albertans about the causes of wildfires and how they can help prevent them.
“The number of wildfires that are ... human-caused fires was unprecedented, and that led us to understand that we needed to take a proactive approach,” Loewen said.
Loewen said there are already fire bans, restrictions, and advisories in place, and Albertans who want to stay informed should familiarize themselves with the Alberta Wildfire website.