An Electra L188 airtanker drops fire retardant on a wildfire near Grande Prairie in early June.
While Oct. 31 marked the official end of Alberta’s wildfire season, ongoing dry conditions mean the risk of wildfire remains in several areas of the province. Fire crews continue to monitor and respond to any new fires, focusing efforts where communities or critical infrastructure could be at risk.
Alberta’s government entered the 2025 wildfire season with new strategies and a more efficient use of existing programs and resources. As wildfires began in April and dry conditions continued, Alberta Wildfire worked quickly to protect communities and limit impacts on residents and industry. While the number of fire-starts was comparable to 2024, Alberta Wildfire was able to reduce the overall area burned when compared with last year.
“We started the 2025 wildfire season prepared for all challenges, and that level of readiness helped us tackle 1,200 wildfire starts quickly. We continue to work with communities to implement programs that are helping to build wildfire resilience across Alberta. Wildfire preparation doesn’t stop – we take what we learn from each season to prepare for the next.”
In 2025, Alberta piloted a new wildfire-response approach that uses hoist-equipped helicopters to rapidly insert and extract wildland firefighters from remote, hard-to-reach areas. Upgrades to Alberta’s fire weather network also improved response planning by delivering more accurate information about where and when wildfires could start and how intense they could become. Additionally, Alberta’s expansion of Wildland Urban Interface crews added another important layer of defence for communities and critical infrastructure near wildland.
“The safety of Albertans and their communities remains our top priority. That’s why we invested in the expansion of our Wildland Urban Interface program. We have witnessed the destruction that wildfires can cause, and we are ensuring that we have the training, equipment and people in place to protect our communities and build resilience.”
Alberta’s focus on mitigation helped protect northern regions that experienced extended periods of dry conditions and increased fire risk throughout the summer. Most wildfire activity this year occurred in the central part of Alberta’s boreal forest, where extreme drought conditions persisted.
Alberta’s government remains ready to respond to new wildfire starts and continues to invest in mitigation efforts including building fireguards, expanding community education through the FireSmart program and implementing the Community Hazardous Fuels Reduction Program.
Quick facts
- Budget 2025 provided $160 million in base funding for wildfire personnel, equipment, training and contracts for aircraft, dozers and night vision equipped helicopters.
- Alberta Wildfire responded to more than 1,200 wildfires in the Forest Protection Area this year, roughly the same number as 2024 and exceeding the five-year average by more than 100.
- Over 85 per cent of new wildfire starts in 2025 were kept under two hectares in size.
- On average, the wildfire size in 2025 was 556 hectares, compared to 604 hectares in 2024.
- Human activity, including all activities conducted by Albertans, caused 60 per cent of wildfires in 2025, and lightning strikes caused 37 per cent. Investigations into the causes of the remaining wildfires are still underway.
- Alberta had almost 1,300 Alberta firefighters and support staff managing wildfires across the province.
Related information
Related news
- Alberta is ready for the 2025 wildfire season (March 4, 2025)
- Boosting fire network for faster wildfire response (April 10, 2025)