An Electra L188 airtanker drops fire retardant on a wildfire near Grande Prairie in early June. 2025
EDMONTON — Alberta’s wildfire season officially ended on Oct. 31, but provincial officials say dry conditions are keeping the fire risk elevated in several regions.
Crews continue to monitor for new starts and are prioritizing areas where communities or critical infrastructure could be threatened. The province says it entered the 2025 season with new strategies and better use of existing resources, allowing Alberta Wildfire to move quickly when fires began in April.
While the number of fire starts was similar to 2024, the area burned was smaller. Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen said readiness was key as crews tackled more than 1,200 wildfire starts.
“We started the 2025 wildfire season prepared for all challenges, and that level of readiness helped us tackle 1,200 wildfire starts quickly,” he said. “Wildfire preparation doesn’t stop. We take what we learn from each season to prepare for the next.”
The province piloted hoist-equipped helicopters to rapidly insert and extract wildland firefighters from remote areas. It also upgraded its fire weather network, providing more accurate data to help predict where fires could ignite and how intense they might become. An expansion of Wildland Urban Interface crews added further protection for communities near forested areas.
Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said the investment strengthens frontline capacity.
“The safety of Albertans and their communities remains our top priority,” he said. “We have witnessed the destruction that wildfires can cause, and we are ensuring we have the training, equipment and people in place to protect our communities and build resilience.”
Most wildfire activity this year occurred in central parts of the boreal forest, where extreme drought persisted. The province says mitigation work, including fireguards, FireSmart education and hazardous fuel reduction, helped shield northern regions that faced long stretches of dry weather.
Budget 2025 provided $160 million in base funding for wildfire personnel, equipment, training and contracts for aircraft, dozers and night-vision helicopters.
Alberta Wildfire responded to more than 1,200 wildfires this year in the Forest Protection Area, exceeding the five-year average by more than 100. Officials say more than 85 per cent of new starts were held under two hectares. Average fire size dropped to 556 hectares, down from 604 hectares last year.
Human activity caused 60 per cent of wildfires in 2025, while lightning was responsible for 37 per cent. The causes of the remaining fires are still under investigation.
The province had almost 1,300 firefighters and support staff on the ground this season.
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