Canada Announces Major Investments to Improve Resilience Against Wildfires

On June 12, 2025, the Governments of Canada, British Columbia, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Manitoba, together with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), announced a total investment of $104 million through the Government of Canada’s Resilient Communities through FireSmart (RCF) Program. This amount includes funding provided to the CIFFC and joint investments by the federal, provincial and territorial governments through the RCF program.

FireSmart™ Canada, a national program within the CIFFC, empowers Canadians to increase resilience to wildfires and minimize their negative impacts. Recognized as a key part of Canada’s prevention and mitigation efforts, the program identifies and reduces wildfire risks and provides actionable guidance for homeowners and communities.

The investment announced today will support the CIFFC’s efforts to enhance FireSmart Canada programming across the country. The funding will also support the provinces and territories in increasing capacity and assisting community-based projects to help prevent wildfires and mitigate their impacts, including Indigenous communities that are disproportionately threatened by wildfires.

With the investments announced today, the Government of Canada has now committed over $78.5 million through the RCF program since 2023–24 until 2027–28 to increase wildfire prevention and mitigation initiatives across the country. This includes funding to CIFFC and cost-shared contributions with British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Yukon.

Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre

The Government of Canada is providing $9.1 million over five years to the CIFFC under the RCF program. This is in addition to the $1.2-million investment provided to the CIFFC that started in 2023–24 and was announced on May 9, 2024.

Through this funding, the CIFCC is taking the following actions:

•  Launching a national FireSmart Canada awareness campaign in the spring of 2025 called “Don’t feed the wildfires”.
• Increasing educational resources, training materials and public outreach initiatives.
• Developing resources for insurance professionals, landscape professionals, municipal planners, builders and developers.
• Developing K–12 school curricula to increase the understanding of prevention and mitigation principles.
• Enhancing existing FireSmart programming to better serve communities across Canada, helping them to live with wildland fire and be more resilient in the face of it.

Visit FireSmartCanada.ca to learn more about stopping the spread of dangerous wildland fires by taking simple steps to reduce the risk to your home and community.

Government of British Columbia

The Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia (B.C.) are each providing an additional $17.9 million over five years through the RCF program. This is in addition to the $950,122 joint investment between the federal government and the Government of B.C. that was announced on September 18, 2024.

Through this joint investment, the Government of B.C. is taking or has taken the following actions:

• Delivering Wildfire Mitigation Specialists training and other FireSmart B.C. education programs across the province.
•  Launching the FireSmart B.C. media and public awareness campaign in spring 2025.
• Holding events such as the Wildfire Resiliency and Training Summit.
• Expanding partnerships with insurance agencies, non-profit organizations, local governments and real estate associations.
•  Developing and enhancing FireSmart B.C. digital applications and platforms.
• Providing funds to regional districts, municipalities and First Nations for wildfire risk reduction activities and community FireSmart initiatives.

Government of Alberta

The Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta are each providing $17.9 million over four years through the RCF program.

Through this joint investment, the Government of Alberta is taking or has taken the following actions:

• Developing a Provincial Wildfire Mitigation Strategy to identify actions that will support the reassessment and restructuring of FireSmart governance.
•  Establishing an inclusive FireSmart Alberta committee to coordinate and improve whole-of-society implementation of wildfire mitigation strategies.
• Launching the Community FireSmart Coordinator Program to support high-risk communities in building and enhancing FireSmart capacity.
• Developing a Community Wildfire Resilience Hub to facilitate public access to simple and user-friendly wildfire resilience resources.
• Advancing a provincial wildfire mitigation sharing circle with Indigenous elders and knowledge keepers to inform new educational materials.
• Supporting municipalities and Indigenous communities in implementing initiatives that reduce wildfire risk through the promotion of the seven FireSmart disciplines.

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

The Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador are each providing $6.4 million over four years through the RCF program.

Through this joint investment, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is taking or has taken the following actions:

• Creating up to six new positions to support the department in delivering a four-year wildfire prevention and mitigation plan.
• Developing geodatabases and risk assessment tools using federal fuel layers and other data sources to enhance community engagement, cross-training and Indigenous involvement.
•  Conducting a province-wide, landscape-level risk assessment to prioritize communities at high wildfire risk, helping to focus efforts more effectively.
• Establishing a Provincial FireSmart Committee to review community projects, track progress and align with national wildfire prevention and mitigation objectives.
• Reviewing and improving wildfire resilience legislation to enhance community safety and preparedness.
• Collaborating with municipalities and land-use planners to integrate wildfire resilience into future development projects.
• Implementing Community Wildfire Protection Plans through education on FireSmart principles, vegetation management, firebreak construction and risk assessments, with ongoing legislative review and improvement.

Government of Yukon

The Government of Canada is providing over $5.5 million and the Government of Yukon over $1.8 million over four years through the RCF program.

Through this joint investment, the Government of Yukon is taking or has taken the following actions:

• Developing Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) with Yukon First Nations and municipal governments.
•  Supporting education initiatives to increase Yukoners’ awareness of wildfire prevention and mitigation activities.
• Managing large-scale, strategic fuel breaks as green infrastructure to reduce wildfire risk around Yukon communities.
• Drafting a territorial prevention and mitigation strategy to guide wildfire risk reduction in the Yukon.
• Building capacity through fuels management training for Government of Yukon staff.
• Conducting enhanced risk assessment and modelling to identify high-risk areas and measure the effectiveness of mitigation actions.

Government of Nova Scotia

The Government of Canada and the Government of Nova Scotia are each providing an additional $821,130 over five years through the RCF program. This is in addition to the $3.9-million joint investment between the federal government and Nova Scotia that started in 2023–24 and was announced on October 1, 2024.

Through this joint investment, the Government of Nova Scotia is taking or has taken the following actions:

• Developing and implementing a public communication strategy and annual fire prevention messaging through media.
• Training personnel for advanced wildfire risk assessments and creating K–12 educational materials on wildfire, mitigation and climate change.
• Purchasing necessary equipment to support wildfire prevention and mitigation activities
• Updating governance frameworks and engaging stakeholders in a province-wide FireSmart governance board.
• Organizing FireSmart events, committees and support local communities in fire prevention efforts.
• Developing Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) with First Nations and municipalities.
• Strengthening emergency planning, risk assessments and policy development for wildfire protection and prevention.
• Implementing vegetation management and fuel reduction activities, including cleanup efforts like thinning around homes, businesses and critical infrastructure.

Government of Prince Edward Island

The Government of Canada and the Government of Prince Edward Island (PEI) are each providing $510,300 over four years through the RCF program.

Through this joint investment, the Government of PEI is taking or has taken the following actions:

• Conducting a province-wide, landscape-level risk assessment to analyze forest fuels, communities and structures at risk.
• Purchasing necessary equipment to support wildfire prevention and mitigation activities.
• Developing a comprehensive strategic plan, roadmap and governance policies to establish an inclusive framework for FireSmart initiatives.
• Recruiting and onboarding two new staff member to support FireSmart program implementation, focusing on governance, outreach and operational activities.
• Conducting broad stakeholder engagement including meetings, consultations and collaborative planning with local communities, Indigenous groups, government agencies and industry partners.
• Establishing a FireSmart Provincial Advisory Group to provide guidance and oversight.
• Implementing a targeted governance framework to guide FireSmart initiatives.

Government of Manitoba

The Government of Canada and the Government of Manitoba are each providing $150,000 over one year through the RCF Program. Discussions are ongoing to conclude a multi-year agreement.

Through this joint investment, the Government of Manitoba has taken the following actions:

• Carrying out and supporting community-based education and awareness events and other capacity-building activities for the FireSmart program.
• Supporting and guiding the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans in several Manitoba communities.
• Conducting jurisdictional research and initiating stakeholder engagements to strengthen implementation of the FireSmart program and support the development of a whole-of-society framework for prevention and mitigation in Manitoba. 
• Carrying out groundwork for the establishment of a provincial FireSmart committee in Manitoba, including stakeholder identification, and consideration of the committee’s purpose, responsibilities, logistics and performance measurement.