Flames in the rearview mirror: A quick look back at Alberta wildfires
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According to Alberta government figures published by Forestry and Parks, in 2024, there were 1,184 wildfires in the province, above the five-year average of 1,067 wildfires.
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The top wildfire causes were lightning (557), residential (131), recreation (125) and incendiary — fires that were intentionally lit, which includes but isn't limited to arson (84), power lines (79) and agricultural (60).
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In 2024, wildfires burned over 708,000 hectares—a figure dwarfed by 2023's 2,211,900 hectares, three times as much territory.
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The COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on wildfires. In the 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, just 3,269 hectares burned —compared to 883,411 the prior year, in 2019.
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In 2024, lightning-caused wildfires, common in the summer months, burned 685,849 acres.
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The peak month of wildfire activity in 2024 was July, with just over half of the season's new blazes starting up that month.
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But the lion's share of fire damage occurred in July, with some 95 per cent of the season's singed territory occurring that month, with 673,416 hectares going up in smoke, compared to 35,112 in the rest of the season put together.
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In 2024, some 1,320 firefighters from outside Alberta came to help, with 680 of those from around Canada.
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Winnipeg Free Press
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