Alberta Wildfire budget increased this season, gets access to $2B contingency fund
![Wildfire Wildfire](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2021/11/25/wildfire-1-5682216-1637896181124.png)
Alberta Wildfire will have an extra $55 million for fire preparedness, prevention, response and mitigation over the next three years.
It's part of a $151 million increase over three years announced in the UCP's 2024 budget for Alberta Forestry and Parks.
"That's welcome news and is allowing us to do a lot of great things when it comes to fighting wildfire," Todd Loewen, Alberta's forestry and parks minister said during a news conference at the Grande Prairie Wildfire Warehouse.
He said the extra cash will mean hiring an additional 100 wildland firefighters.
"It's one of the best years for recruiting," Loewen said. "I think we're in the process right now of recruiting for the additional hundred but I believe we're set up and in the process of training all the ones we've contracted already."
They also plan to boost resources including two extra long-term helicopter contracts, two new air tanker contracts, and renew 130 helicopter contracts.
Loewen said more high-tech drones will be used this season to provide real-time information to decision makers about where to send resources.
"Drones are also able to fly over areas that would be too dangerous for piloted aircraft which helps us collect valuable data we otherwise wouldn't have," he said.
Night vision helicopter capacity will increase so will the use of Artificial Intelligence on the front-lines.
"The wildfire occurrence prediction system determines the probability of a new wildfire starting in a given area," said Loewen.
"The wildfire occurrence prediction system can analyze granular data sources to give staff members more specific insights about the regions they make decisions for."
The costs of actually fighting any wildfires this season will come out of the province's contingency fund – $2 billion was set aside in this year's budget.
"The reason why it gets funded by contingency is that it can vary so much," said Loewen.
"The average fire year might be $200-250 million, I think there's been some years even just recently below $200 million and so it's hard to budget based on any kind of average," he added.
The wildfire season officially starts March 1 in Alberta.
"I want to reassure Albertans that we are prepared for the worst while hoping for the best in the wildfire season ahead," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6939697.1719286227!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Top Cats: Panthers win their 1st Stanley Cup, top Oilers 2-1 in Game 7
The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions for the first time in franchise history, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Oilers' McDavid wins Conn Smythe Trophy after Game 7 loss
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has been awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the NHL playoffs after an incredible post-season that finished just short of a Stanley Cup.
Votes in Toronto byelection counting very slowly, Liberals narrowly ahead of Tories
Conservative candidate Don Stewart remained hopeful late Monday despite trailing his Liberal opponent in the Toronto-St. Paul's byelection where results were extremely slow to come in.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty in deal with U.S. that will allow him to walk free
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that will allow him to walk free and resolve a long-running legal saga that spanned multiple continents and centred on the publication of a trove of classified documents.
Canada's population forecast to reach 63 million, as people over 85 set to triple
New projections by Statistics Canada suggest the nation's population could reach 63 million by 2073.
opinion Princess Anne's enduring popularity: her equestrian excellence, Canadian connections and an escaped kidnapping attempt
In light of the news that Princess Anne's trip this week to Canada was cancelled because of an injury, royal commentator Afua Hagan looks at the princess's contributions as a royal figure that extend far beyond traditional ceremonials.
14-year-old boy facing 2 counts of first-degree murder in connection with Rexdale shooting investigation
A 14-year-old boy has been charged in connection with a “mass shooting” outside a school in Etobicoke earlier this month that took the lives of two men and wounded three others, police say.
Sask. speaker officially resigns from Sask. Party caucus
Speaker Randy Weekes officially tendered his resignation from the Saskatchewan Party Government Caucus – following an extended saga that saw Weekes accuse government MLAs of harassment.
Teen girl pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of Toronto homeless man
A fourth teen accused in the fatal stabbing of a Toronto homeless man has pleaded guilty.