While Alberta went from managing snowstorms to dealing with dry, above-average temperatures in just under two weeks, the Alberta government says it’s ready to tackle this year’s wildfire season.
On Monday morning, Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen says more than 550 firefighters have been hired for this year, with hundreds more available upon request through contracts and mutual aid agreements.
This year, the province is introducing a mutual aid incentive pilot. The program offers municipalities up to $125,000 in wildfire response support.
“The goal is straightforward. Reduce immediate financial pressures. Remove barriers that may delay decision-making and improve wildfire outcomes through faster, coordinated response,” Loewen explained at a press conference.
“When the time comes, we want to make sure local governments are picking up the phones instead of checking their budgets,” he added.
Loewen says they remain committed to using aircraft such as helicopters with night-vision capability, as well as hoist-equipped helicopters in and out of difficult terrain.
The province has also purchased five new water bombers in March, but that won’t be ready for use until at least 2031.
Lowen says the Alberta Wildfire dashboard app has also been updated to include municipal fire reporting and the fire response information to explain what actions are being taken.
Mayor of Sturgeon County, Alanna Hnatiw, says this funding is extremely helpful to offset costs.
“Anytime we can reduce the immediate cost of emergency response. Obviously, we need to use local vendors. There are bills to be paid,” Hnatiw told Global News.
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Hnatiw says conditions in her country remain dry. Although the county has seen snow, there hasn’t been spring rain.
She says with the exception of flooding in 2020, the area has experienced nearly 10 years of drought.
“Things are very dry. Until we see a massive green up in late july or june, it is major fire season. Any fires need to be contained; keep them small. Keep your water hoses out,” she said.
The 2026 response is already being put to the test.
The dry conditions have sparked fires over the weekend, triggering wildfire emergency alerts, and warning people to be on standby to evacuate the area.
A wildfire alert remains in effect in Parkland County.
According to the Alberta Emergency Alert system, the fire is burning near Range Road 10 and Beau Rant Estates.
Everyone living in the area between Range Road 11 to Range Road 281, and from the river north to Township Road 505, should be prepared to evacuate on short notice, have vehicles fuelled up, and gather important documents and medication.
According to the Alberta Wildfire dashboard, as of midday on Monday, there are just under 25 active wildfires. None of them are considered out of control.
According to the province’s fire danger map, the southern part of the province is under very high or extremely high fire danger.
Loewen says the far north received a lot more moisture, therefore conditions are good for now.
However, he says it’s only a matter of a few weeks before conditions turn critical.
Loewen confirmed the community of Sandy Beach is the latest example of a municipality that used the province’s mutual aid incentive pilot.
According to a Facebook post by Sturgeon County, the fire has claimed at least three homes and damaged a fourth on Saturday.
At the time, a local state of emergency was issued by the county.
More than 60 firefighters were on scene from multiple jurisdictions, including Morinville, Alexander First Nation, Parland County, and Lac Ste. Anne County.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Sturgeon County Fire Chief Chad Moore said it started in one residence and spread to another.
A fire ban was issued Saturday at around 5:30 p.m. A state of local emergency was declared for the area around 9:30 p.m. that night.
Fortunately, no one was injured in that fire.
That wildfire has been held, and all alerts for the community have been lifted.
Infrastructure Minister Martin Long took a moment to recognize the 10th anniversary of the Fort McMurray wildfire.
“This anniversary brings back powerful memories for many Albertans. Not just the fire itself but the long recovery that followed. It’s a reminder that wildfire impacts don’t end when the flames are out, and its sustained support matters just as much as immediate response,” Long explained.
“Those lessons continue to shape how we think about preparedness and community resilience today,” he added.
—with files from Global News’ Erik Bay
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