Seasonal firefighters, night-vision helicopters, municipal support for 2026 Alberta wildfire season

The Alberta government says it’s well positioned to tackle this year’s wildfire season, with hundreds of firefighters already hired, money available to support municipalities, and a fire service training grant.

Alberta says more than 550 seasonal firefighters have already been hired, with hundreds more available through contracts and mutual aid agreements if they are needed.

This year, municipalities facing wildfires are eligible to receive $125,000 to support their response when they call Alberta Wildfire for help. The province is encouraging communities to ask for help sooner through that mutual aid incentive pilot.

“The goal is straightforward: reduce immediate financial pressures, remove barriers that may delay decision-making, and improve wildfire outcomes through faster, coordinated response,” Todd Loewen, minister of forestry and parks, told a press conference at Villeneuve Airport in Sturgeon County on Monday.

“Because when the time comes, we want local governments to be picking up their phones instead of checking their budgets.”

This year’s wildfire contingent will also include helicopters with night-vision capability and ones that can hoist firefighters in and out of rough terrain.

The province has also purchased five new water bombers, which will be made in the province, but they aren’t set to hit the field until 2031. Alberta currently owns four water bombers, with an additional 14 on contract.

The province adds it’s keeping around its $500,000 fire services training program for municipalities, with over 90 recipients eligible across the program.

That grant is making a “real difference” in communities across the province, according to fire chief Randy Schroeder with the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association. Schroeder says firefighters are arriving on scene better prepared.

The Alberta government says all of that builds on other municipal-level wildfire mitigation measures like fireguards, FireSmart programs, and the community hazardous fuels reduction program.

Meanwhile urban wildfire crews are in place across the province thanks to funding from the provincial and federal governments. The teams have specialized training to respond to fires threatening communities.

“We have taken the lessons we learned from every wildfire season and built on them to improve mitigation, preparedness response,” said Alberta Minister of Infrastructure Martin Long.

The United Conservative Party (UCP) government has previously come under fire for cuts to its wildfire management budget. In 2019, it axed the Wildland Firefighter Rappel Program, with a freedom of information request later showing that decision saved the province around $1.4 million. That same year, Alberta allocated $117 million toward wildfire management.

The allocation dropped to $100 million in 2022-23, and again for 2023-24. It jumped back up to $160 million in 2025 following the Jasper wildfire.

This year, the province earmarked $169 million for wildfires.

“Wildfire seasons are growing longer, more unpredictable, and more destructive,” Schroeder said Monday.