Province nearly doubles budget for Alberta wildfire response improvements

A wildfire in Alberta in an undated photo. (CTV News)

The Alberta government is almost doubling the amount of money it has earmarked for wildfire-fighting improvements on top of what it has already committed to over a three-year period.

The province announced an extra $900,000 will be put toward upgrading equipment, adding more weather stations in key places and improving response to wildfires, bringing the total to $1.9 million.

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Alberta’s fire weather network includes 150 monitoring stations that collect information on temperature, humidity, wind conditions and moisture levels.

Alberta Forestry Minister Todd Loewen said at a media conference Thursday that upgrading the monitoring equipment will “ensure they’re providing fast, reliable and accurate data in all conditions,” and emphasized the benefits of adding new stations – they’ll help “identify the most strategic locations for these new stations based on data gaps, fire history and emerging threats” – and improved response times by firefighting teams.

• Cooler weather, ‘near-normal’ precipitation prompts improved Alberta wildfire forecast

“Alberta wildfire will be able to direct crews to where they’re needed most, plan proactively and anticipate fire risks earlier, helping them stay one step ahead of dangerous wildfire conditions before they escalate,” Loewen said.

“This is about getting the right information into the right hands at the right time, and using it to help keep people, property and the landscape safe.”

Alberta’s official wildfire season runs March 1 to Oct. 31. The province budgeted $160 million for wildfire efforts in 2025, up $5 million from last year.