alberta to invest $7 million to protect communities near wildland areas
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an out-of-control wildfire seen burning west of saprae creek on april 21, 2024.
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alberta wildfire
alberta will invest approximately $7 million to expand efforts to protect populated areas from wildfires.
the program targets developed areas that meet wildland areas, and employs structural firefighters with specialized training to mitigate blazes that threaten communities on the border between natural and urban regions.
in a news conference on friday, public safety and emergency services minister mike ellis said the funding will create six new teams, up from the two that currently exist. the teams will based out of hinton, slave lake, blackwood fish county, kee tas kee now tribal council, the town of strathmore and the kananaskis improvement district.
the existing two teams are based in clearwater county and the town of high level.
“we’ve witnessed the immense destruction wildfires can cause at home and in other parts of the world, and that’s why we’re focused on building more skilled, specialized and ready-to-deploy teams that can work to ensure communities, businesses and critical infrastructure are protected,” ellis said.
each of the new teams will receive 1.09 million to fund personal costs, administrative support, equipment, maintenance and travel costs, he said.
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the province’s forestry and parks ministry and the federal department of natural resources will each provide $545,000 to the program for each of the teams.
ellis said the teams will be permanent, and that he’s optimistic that the federal government funding would be “sustainable and predictable.”
while hiring for four new full-time members is underway, firefighters are already trained to the standard required. once hiring and onboarding is completed, the teams would be “ready to go,” strathmore fire chief dave sturgeon said.
strathmore mla chantelle de jonge called the investment a “proactive step to safeguard towns, farms and critical infrastructure,” by strengthening co-ordination, training and responsive capabilities.
“thanks to this investment, we are strengthening our wildfire resilience, protecting lives, properties, and ensuring our residents can feel safer in their homes and neighbourhoods,” she said.
according to the province’s wildfire map, 11 wildfires are burning in the northern region of the province, two of which are rated out of control. one is anticipated to not grow any larger, while seven have been mitigated and no longer considered concerning.
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ellis said he has not been notified of any current significant threats, but cautioned the risk always exists.
“it’s all about preparedness, and that’s precisely what we’re doing with the wildfire urban care stations,” he said.
ddesai@postmedia.com
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