Alberta is devoting more resources to fighting wildfires in 2024

After a record wildfire season in Alberta and across the country, the provincial government says it is preparing early for the 2024 wildfire season.

“We saw some of the fires that started last season started earlier than we expected, in fact, many of our lakes still had ice at that time. This reduced our ability to use water bombers to filter the water of our lakes. So we want to get ready with crews early,” said Todd Lowen, Minister of Forestry and Parks.

Lowen says the province is aiming to be fully ready by April 15, which is two weeks earlier than usual.

“We want to make sure we're prepared and that crews are in place and as the cause of the fire progresses we'll take more crews. A lot of our crews are local firefighters and we also have varsity students, so when the varsity season ends, the fire season starts,” he said. “We're going to call those crews back to work and make sure we're ready for the fire season.”

Alberta plans to add more firefighters by 2024, although Loewen says the number of firefighters cannot be announced until the provincial budget is announced.

“We have a plan to make sure we're ready for whatever the budget is, but we're looking forward to some good things in the budget to fight wildfires,” Lowen explained.

According to the province, 57 wildfires are still burning actively in Alberta.

“We have fire crews on the ground right now and as we get closer to spring the number of crews will increase and we'll make sure we're ready to go when fire season starts,” Lowen said.

Firefighters near Fox Lake are still battling a fire that broke out last summer.

“We have a rather mild winter. We expect this 2024 season to be even hotter and drier, but ultimately it's too early to tell. We'll have to see what the spring rains bring not just to our area, but to the province,” said Victoria Ostendorf, Upper Range Forest Fire Information Officer.

---

RELATED: Alberta wildfires still burning from last year threaten nearby communities

---

Many firefighters are expected to return in 2024, and training is underway for new crews. It has been reported that the province has received a record number of applications to become firefighters.

“Conditions are again tipped for a poor season, but snow in the next month or so could make a big difference, and some well-timed spring rain could also make a big difference. It could turn the bleak outlook we're currently looking forward to into a much rosier one,” Lowen said.

“What's interesting is that we had an average number of fires compared to the five-year average for the 2023 season,” he added. “The difference was in the size of those fires and the amount of power they burned. And that, of course, creates more area for firefighting.”

With unseasonably warm temperatures and little rainfall across the province, this spring could prove challenging for firefighters despite early preparations.

“We left the fall with very high fire danger and we'll probably see it again in the spring,” said Melissa Storey, provincial information officer for Alberta Wildfire.

The province notes that new technology has helped fight wildfires in 2023.

“Last year we used a little bit of drones for fire mapping and thermal imaging, especially at night. So we will be using it more this year. “It was very helpful because we were able to see what the fire was doing at night, and then we knew where we could get crews in the morning to start fighting the fire in the morning,” Lowen explained.

“I think we are the only jurisdiction in Canada that has a night vision helicopter. The night vision helicopter helped in the same way, helping to control the fire at night, helping to determine where we put the crews, and also helping to pump water and put water on the fire at night,” the minister added. “At night, temperatures often drop and humidity rises, which actually lowers fire levels dramatically, making it the most effective time to fight fires.

“When you have a 20-meter-high flame, there's nothing you can do to stop that fire,” Loewen said. “But in the middle of the night, when the flame is a meter or less, the amount of water you put on it and the amount you put out obviously makes a much bigger difference than when it's at its peak. in the middle of the day.”

As for the damage caused, Loewen says it's heartbreaking to see the communities that have been destroyed.

“I think about 50 communities were evacuated last year,” he said. “We know this disrupts lives, families, businesses, work schedules and everything, and we want to make sure we minimize that as much as possible going forward.”