Alberta’s Wildfire Season Closes After Challenging Year

FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta— As Alberta’s official wildfire season comes to a close, provincial officials are reflecting on a year marked by challenges, losses, and hard-earned successes. With over 1,200 fires recorded, more than half of which were caused by human activity, the season demanded extensive coordination and resilience from firefighting teams and communities alike.

Todd Loewen, Alberta’s Minister of Forestry and Parks, said the province will work to improve wildfire management practices. “While the 2024 wildfire season was challenging, our coordinated efforts and the resilience of Albertans have been crucial in mitigating the impact,” said Loewen. “We will continue to adapt and strengthen our wildfire management strategies to protect our communities and natural resources.”

Among the larger fires, this year was a spring blaze southwest of Fort McMurray that forced several communities south of the Athabasca River to evacuate. By mid-summer, the town of Jasper faced its own devastation when a wildfire under the jurisdiction of Parks Canada led to widespread evacuations and destroyed nearly 30 per cent of structures in the community. The tragedy was compounded by the loss of an Alberta wildland firefighter who died battling the Jasper wildfire.

Martin Long, MLA for West Yellowhead, which includes Jasper, described the season as a test of Albertans resolve. Long hailed the efforts of firefighters and support teams in protecting communities, while speaking of the need to learn from the challenging season.

“We will build on this experience to continue to improve response strategies and initiate new strategies to ensure the safety of all Albertans,” said Long.

Trevor Lamabe, Alberta Wildfire’s executive director, added that early planning, along with investments in personnel, resources, and new technologies, proved invaluable as the province faced intense fire activity.

This year, Alberta Wildfire responded to more than 1,210 wildfires that more than 705,000 hectares of land.