Canadian Red Cross. Web image
FORT McMURRAY — The Canadian Red Cross is providing more than $4 million to support firefighting capabilities and wildfire mitigation efforts in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo a decade after the devastating 2016 wildfire disaster.
The funding announced Monday will support firefighting equipment, staffing and training while also expanding FireSmart programming across the region.
The municipality says the money will help strengthen existing wildfire preparedness and community resilience efforts through initiatives including vegetation management, public education campaigns, neighbourhood risk assessments and wildfire mitigation projects.
The latest investment builds on years of Red Cross recovery support following the 2016 Horse River wildfire, which forced the evacuation of roughly 90,000 people and became one of the costliest natural disasters in Canadian history.
Since the wildfire, the Canadian Red Cross says it has provided recovery support to more than 16,000 families in the Fort McMurray region through financial assistance covering expenses such as rent, mortgages, utilities, repairs and reconstruction.
The organization says it also supported more than 3,200 small businesses dealing with uninsured losses and funded over 145 partnerships with community organizations, including 22 Indigenous organizations focused on culturally appropriate recovery programs.
According to the Red Cross, more than 20,000 people have also received mental health and wellness support through local partnerships connected to wildfire recovery efforts.
A separate residential mitigation incentive program helping homeowners offset wildfire prevention costs is scheduled to conclude at the end of June.
Emily Pietropaolo, vice-president of recovery for the Canadian Red Cross, said the organization continues working alongside communities in the region as wildfire risks remain elevated across Canada.
“Recovery from a major disaster like the 2016 wildfires in Alberta takes time and sustained effort,” Pietropaolo said in a statement.
“As wildfire risks continue to increase, proactive, community-based approaches are more critical than ever.”
Wood Buffalo Mayor Sandy Bowman said the municipality continues benefiting from long-term partnerships formed in the aftermath of the wildfire disaster.
“The Canadian Red Cross has proven to be a tremendous partner to the Municipality, and the entire region, now for over a decade as we’ve worked together to strengthen the community,” Bowman said.
Wildfire preparedness and FireSmart initiatives have become a growing focus for many Alberta communities following several severe wildfire seasons across western Canada in recent years.
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