By Liam Verster

Wildfire Preparedness

Alberta rolls out new wildfire prevention measures

Apr 14, 2020 | 3:08 PM

The Province is preparing for the upcoming wildfire season, by rolling out some new enforceable measures.

In 2019, Alberta spent over $600-million fighting wildfires, which destroyed over 2-million acres of forest. Of those fires, 71 per cent were human caused, and preventable.

Because those figures were so high, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Devin Dreeshen, says the province has decided to hire more fire fighters.

“We are making an additional $5-million investment to hire and train 200 more wildfire fighters here in Alberta. We’ve already trained over 600 fire fighters, and they will join the 370 year round staff, in protecting Albertans, and their communities.”

These fire fighters will be providing ground support only, as the Alberta Wildland Firefighter Rappel Program has been cancelled.

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In addition to bolstering the number of fire fighters available, the Province is taking action to reduce the risk of a wildfire starting. Dreeshen says, starting Wednesday, April 15, temporary fire and off-highway vehicle bans will be in effect in Alberta’s Forest Protection Area, which is roughly 60 per cent of the province, mainly along the western border and in the northern half of Alberta. Fire bans are also in effect in provincial parks.

The municipalities outside the Forest Protection Areas are responsible for fire bans within their own boundaries.

Dreeshen adds that, though the fire bans are in place for close to 60 per cent of the province, the OHV ban only affects the crown land within the protection areas. Exceptions to the ban include use on private land within protected areas, and the use by First Nations for traditional purposes.

Dreeshen says, in order to ensure that these new rules are enforced, the fines for non-compliance have been increased.

“These are laws, and they are in place for a reason. If you break the law, you could receive a fine of $600 for being non-compliant with the fire ban, or $1,200 for not being compliant with the OHV restrictions. Anyone found to be the cause of a wildfire may also be liable for the cost associated with extinguishing the fire. These fines are in addition to the existing penalties for arson under the Criminal Code of Canada, which carry significant weight.”

Anyone found to be non-compliant with fire bans and OHV restrictions may also wind up in court, and receive a fine of $10,000.

The fire ban is not province-wide, as it could negatively impact municipalities’ ability to allow agricultural burning. Dreeshen says if the situation changes and they need to issue a complete fire ban, they will, but at this time there are no plans to increase the ban.

The province is also providing an additional $20-million in funding to the FireSmart program, in an effort to increase preventative measures and initiatives.

“The FireSmart program includes grants to support communities, including Indigenous communities, to reduce the risk of wildfire through education, training, emergency planning, and the creation of fire buffers around communities. These initiatives require the active participation of municipalities and provincial agencies to be successful. This additional funding means we can mitigate wildfire damages and losses within Alberta communities, and can support local jobs in our rural areas.”

Dreeshen says the safety of the public is top of mind, and these new measures will help protect Albertans and their communities.

Up-to-date information on fire bans and restrictions, along with general wildfire information, can be found at albertafirebans.ca.

Wildfires can be reported from anywhere in Alberta by calling 310-FIRE (310-3473).