Alberta’s government is investing almost $7 million to create six new Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) teams to protect communities at risk from wildfires.

In response to increased wildfire activity in recent years, Alberta’s government is taking action to better safeguard communities and strengthen the way emergencies are responded to. This includes record investments in equipment and personnel, as well as targeted strategies to enhance local firefighting capacity, readiness and resilience.

Alberta’s government is responding proactively to wildfire threats by funding six local fire departments through the Wildland Urban Interface Program to boost wildfire preparedness and response capabilities. This initiative quadruples the number of existing Wildland Urban Interface teams, ensuring a stronger, more coordinated effort to protect communities from potential wildfire emergencies.

“Alberta’s government continues to make critical investments to strengthen the way emergencies are handled. We are effectively quadrupling the number of Wildland Urban Interface teams in Alberta to ensure the safety of Albertans’ businesses, neighbourhoods and critical infrastructure during wildfires.”

“Firefighting teams like this can truly make the difference when it comes to protecting Alberta’s communities. Having more Wildland Urban Interface teams improves our capabilities and adaptability when our wildland firefighting teams are fighting fires across Alberta.”

The Wildland Urban Interface Program targets zones where developments such as homes, farms or industrial sites border or mix with natural vegetation at risk from wildfire. Fires that occur in these transitional areas between forests, grasslands and populated communities are often challenging and demand the expertise of both wildland and structural firefighters. Wildland Urban Interface teams consist of firefighters who have the specialized training and equipment needed to respond to wildfires that enter a community or where developed areas meet wildland areas.

This program is a partnership between the provincial government and local authority fire services and includes funding from Natural Resources Canada. The province is responsible for coordination and funding, while local fire departments contribute personnel, firefighting equipment and resources. The expansion of this program will enhance the overall deployment of specialized resources across the province and improve municipal fire service capacity through additional training and technical support.

“The announcement of almost $7 million in funding to quadruple the number of Wildland Urban Interface teams will strengthen Alberta’s wildfire preparedness and significantly improve safety for Strathmore residents. As the local MLA, I am proud to support the growth of these versatile teams, which are deployed across the province to support municipalities like ours and reinforce our local firefighting capabilities.”

“Strathmore’s firefighters have repeatedly shown their skill, commitment and leadership during emergency deployments. Participation in the WUI Program allows us to strengthen those capabilities, enhance regional partnerships, and help build a sustainable response model for our community and province.”

Each new Wildland Urban Interface Team will receive $1.09 million over two to three years for personnel costs, administrative support, equipment, maintenance and travel costs to help develop and expand the program’s training and operational capacity.

The local authorities receiving funding are:

• Town of Strathmore
• Town of Hinton
• Town of Slave Lake
• Lac La Biche County
• Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council
• Kananaskis Improvement District

There are two existing teams based out of Clearwater County and the Town of High Level.

Quick facts

• Funding for the Town of Hinton, Town of Slave Lake, Lac La Biche County and Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council is shared equally between Natural Resources Canada and Alberta Forestry and Parks.
• Funding for the teams based in the Town of Strathmore and Kananaskis Improvement District will be provided by the Alberta Emergency Management Agency.
• Each team will receive a total of $1.09 million for a combined total of close to $7 million.

Related information

• Wildland Urban Interface Program