Alberta rolls out wildfire spending, ups emergency fund to $2B for 2024

The Alberta government will spend more to monitor and combat wildfires in 2024, and put aside a bigger contingency fund after taking out more than $1 billion to deal with the most destructive wildfire season on record.

In total, drought and wildfire expenses for the last fiscal year added up to $2.9 billion, including agriculture disaster support.

After nearly three-quarters of a $1.5-billion contingency fund went toward wildfire response in 2023, the UCP government's 2024-25 budget is boosting the total to $2 billion.

Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen said Friday that an additional $55 million will go toward wildfire management this year, with $151 million in total spending over the next three years.

That will increase the number of nighttime wildfire-fighting helicopters from one to three, add two new air tanker contracts and more drones for aerial surveillance.

But after declaring an early start to wildfire season, the province will turn to their emergency fund again if 2024 is another extreme fire year. Scientists say climate change is upping the risk of longer, more intense wildfire seasons.

"We do have to be prepared for the worst, which could be another unprecedented season," Loewen said.

"I think with a $2-billion contingency, we're going into this year in good shape, in that way."

In a statement, NDP agriculture, forestry and rural economic development critic Heather Sweet accused the government of "planning for the upcoming wildfire season on a hope and a prayer."

She said preparation is being underfunded, and doesn't fully address communities' needs.

Loewen previously announced that the province will hire an additional 100 firefighters this year, with Alberta Wildfire aiming to be fully staffed by mid-April.

Last year, a fire burning less than 10 kilometres away from Fort Chipewyan, forced residents from their homes in the remote northern Alberta community for more than three weeks. 

Fort Chip Métis Nation president Kendrick Cardinal said there should be more support and funding for local firefighters and fire suppression efforts in Indigenous communities.

"There better be plans in place to not go through what we went through last year," he said.