Todd Loewen

On Friday, Alberta issued an advisory that it would on Monday be releasing details of its new wildfire firefighting strategy. The event was slated for Villeneuve Airport, where some of the aerial firefighting equipment would be shown off. …But, over the weekend, a wildfire struck the summer village of Sandy Beach, located 64 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, and just 30 kilometres from Villeneuve airport. Three homes were destroyed and another was damaged. So, the news conference ended up happening just a short drive from where the first regional wildfire event of the season flared up. And, that new firefighting plan was already in effect over the weekend, as Sturgeon County and the village could access $125,000 in provincial funds to fight the fire. …The province will expand the role of wildland urban interface teams, and special wildfire training. And, the province has struck a $400 million deal for five new water bombers, manufactured in Alberta…

Additional coverage in CFWE Radio, by Jackson Fontaine: Alberta Gearing Up for 2026 Wildfire Season