As Alberta's record fire season ends, planning begins for next year's fight

Alberta's 2023 wildfire season saw thousands of people fleeing their homes with only pets and packed bags, and hundreds of hazy-smoke hours in the city of Calgary. 

The province's legislated wildfire season ended on Tuesday after fires burned at least 2,214,957 hectares of land — more than ten times the previous five-year average and the most in recorded history. 

More than 38,000 residents were evacuated during the season due to some of the official season's 1,094 fires.

"Our province faced an unprecedented challenge this past wildfire season," said Todd Loewen, Minister of Forestry and Parks in a statement on Friday.

"While this season was not without its difficulties, the way Albertans and industry leaders stepped up to support their neighbours was nothing short of inspiring."

Fires destroyed structures on the Sturgeon Lake First Nation, in the East Prairie Métis Settlement, Fox Lake community, and Yellowhead County, per Indigneous Services Canada and community leaders. 

Around 60 per cent of Alberta's 2023 wildfires were human-caused, according to provincial information officer with Alberta Wildfire Derrick Forsythe, meaning they were caused by all terrain vehicles, downed power lines, or other human activities or infrastructure.  

"The fires just were always there," said Forsythe. "There was never really a chance to kind of catch your breath." 

Over the winter months, Forsythe said Alberta Wildfire crews will repair and replace the run-down water pumps and hoses used this season. 

The operations team will assess the effectiveness of strategies and new technologies deployed this year, like night vision helicopters and drones able to detect hot spots on the landscape, Forsythe added. 

He hopes the winter weather will allow many wildfire crews to rest and de-stress after months of long hours and high-pressure work. 

"If you've been working, you know, 18 days in a row and three days off, and 18 days in a row and three days off, all summer long … you know it's important [to] take that time," said Forsythe.

The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs hopes this year's destruction inspires change. 

"There's a saying out there that goes, 'Don't ever let a disaster go to waste,'" said President Ken McMullen, who also works as Red Deer's chief of emergency services. 

"We cannot forget that we will be facing similar seasons like we have this year, and we need to prepare for that better than we did in the summer of '23."

Since 2016, fewer people have signed on as volunteer firefighters, said McMullen; a role often called into action when wildfires are threatening structures or communities.

He's asking the federal government to increase the tax credit available to volunteer firefighters from $3,000 to $10,000 to boost retention and recruitment. 

Alberta's wildfire dashboard showed 72 active wildfires still burning on Friday night.

Alberta Wildfire said several will likely burn through the winter and into the new year. 

Residents are encouraged to recreate carefully to prevent unnecessary blazes from sparking.