As wildfire season in Alberta draws to a close, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees is calling on the federal government for greater care for wildland firefighters.
While significant rainfall throughout the province made for a less intense season than in previous years, Alberta Wildfire still responded to 785 wildfires buring nearly18,000 hectares.
For a brief period in mid-August, Alberta’s wildfire map showed no active wildfires, the first time in 40 years with zero recorded at that time of year. Comparatively, the five-year average for the province is 996 wildfires.
“Wildfire season asks a lot of everyone involved, and protecting communities takes a real team effort. Our crews move large volumes of water over long distances and tough terrain to support the firefighters, aircraft and equipment working the line,” said fire and flood emergency services chief operating officer Guy Parlette. “We’re proud to work alongside Alberta Wildfire and the communities we serve, and we’re grateful to every firefighter and partner who helped keep Albertans safe this season.”
Work to help mitigate effects of fire included nearly 1,000 hectares of strategic fuel breaks constructed since April 2025, and more than 6,200 hectares treated through the Community Hazardous Fuels Reduction Program.
With provincial preparation for the 2027 wildfire season already underway, AUPE, alongside the B.C. Government Employees’ Union and the National Union of Public and General Employees, has turned its gaze to the government of Canada.
It says care for wildland firefighters needs to be part of that preparation, noting all other firefighters, be they from municipalities, at airports or on ships, have a federal classification that provides pension and health-care benefits.
These benefits include presumptive cancer protection, meaning it is automatically assumed the cancer was caused by working conditions, rather than making them prove where and how they got the disease.
“Just like other firefighters, wildland firefighters put their lives on the line when we need them to save us and our communities,” says AUPE president Sandra Azocar. “Just like other firefighters, wildland firefighters deal with toxic materials that can lead to cancer, lung and heart problems. But unlike other firefighters, they don’t always get the help they need when they get sick.”
Currently, wildland firefighters are classified by the federal government under National Occupation Classification as silviculture and forestry workers.
AUPE says they should be classified as firefighters or as fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers.
Azocar says as wildfire seasons grow hotter, longer and more dangerous, the health risks only become greater, and these firefighters deserve to be looked after in turn.
“Presumptive coverage means quicker access to treatment,” said AUPE vice-president James Gault. “This can be the difference between life and death. It is unfair and possibly fatal to treat wildland firefighters differently.”
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Anna Smith, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Medicine Hat News.