Alberta declares wildfire season over

As this year’s wildfire season draws to a close, the province says 2024 has seen more wildfires than last year.

The province has responded to more than 1,210 wildfires this season, surpassing last year’s record season.

More than 705,000 hectares have burned, about 11 times the area of ​​Edmonton.

However, although there were fewer fires in 2023, they burned more areas in the province. There were 1,080 wildfires and burned more than 2.2 million hectares, about 35 times the area of ​​Edmonton.

“This season’s wildfires have burned less than a third of the area compared to 2023, highlighting the effectiveness of Alberta’s preparations and investments,” the office of the Minister of Forestry and Parks said in a statement.

In July, two wildfires in Jasper National Park engulfed the town, forcing the evacuation of 25,000 residents and visitors. 24-year-old firefighter Morgan Kitchen died while fighting the fire.

“After the terrible loss of the Jasper wildfire, we are reminded of the strength found in cooperation — with each other and between all agencies of the state,” said Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland.

“We are also reminded of the urgent need to invest together in education, preparedness, mitigation and adaptation, ensuring not only an effective response but also building a more resilient future.”

More than 1,300 international firefighters and support personnel have arrived in the province to help fight the wildfires.

Other wildfire-induced evacuations include people living in the Garden River, John D’Or Prairie, Fox Lake in the Little Red River Nation and the Chipewyan.

With 64 wildfires fueled by a wild winter and extremely dry conditions, Alberta Wildfire activated its wildfire season two weeks early, implementing a fire ban and fire permit system to prevent human-caused fires.

In 2019, the UCP government cut the budget for rural firefighters, saving $1.4 million. The province’s wildfire budget for 2019 was about $117 million. In 2024, this figure increased to a “historic” 155 million dollars.

The Alberta Forest Fire Service says most wildfires are caused by humans. In July, there were 410 wildfires caused by lightning, the most in 20 years.

The province says the province’s wildfire season ends on Oct. 31, but Alberta Wildfire remains “vigilant and ready to respond” to any potential wildfires and their spread throughout the winter.

With files from The Canadian Press