Government of Canada invests in bolstering pan-Canadian aerial wildfire firefighting capacity

OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 20, 2026 /CNW/ - With the second worst wildfire season in Canada's history in 2025 and the prospect of increasingly challenging wildfires in the years to come, the Government of Canada is showing leadership and taking direct action to strengthen Canada's wildfire response capacity and better protect communities across the country from the increasing threat of wildfires.

Today, the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, and the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced that the Government of Canada is investing $316.7 million over the next 5 years to increase Canada's aerial wildfire firefighting capacity. This investment, stemming from the Budget 2025 commitment to bolster provincial and territorial aerial firefighting capacity, will be directed to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).

CIFFC coordinates wildfire resources among federal, provincial, and territorial governments. Over the next five years, CIFFC will use this funding to lease and manage the deployment of federally funded wildfire fighting aircraft to provinces and territories to boost their capacity during periods of intense wildfire activity. CIFFC has launched a request for proposals (RFP) to ensure that aircraft are available for use in the 2026 wildfire season.

Aerial firefighting is an important tool for fighting wildfires that protects lives and property by delivering water, or fire retardant drops in hard-to-reach areas, slowing wildfire spread, and supporting ground crews with surveillance.

These additional aircraft will strengthen wildfire response operations across Canada and improve safety for communities and frontline personnel. The Government of Canada is committed to building long-term wildfire resilience across the country.

Quotes

"Following the second worst wildfire season in our history, our government is showing leadership and making bold investments that will provide critical support to provinces and territories. The aircraft leased by CIFFC using this funding will help frontline firefighters respond faster, slow the spread, and minimize the impact of wildfires on communities across Canada for 2026 and future wildfire seasons."
- The Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada

"This investment will strengthen our ability to keep Canadians safe from the threats posed by wildfire, by providing provinces and territories with critical firefighting capacity when they need it most. By acting now, we are helping protect lives, homes, and communities for years to come."
- The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

"A pan-Canadian response that assists our provincial and territorial partners in reducing the increasing impact of wildfires is paramount. CIFFC is honoured to coordinate these aerial assets on behalf of our member agencies. Together, we are building a more wildfire resilient future for our country."
- Kelsey Winter, Executive Director of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre

Quick Facts

• The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc. (CIFFC) is a not-for-profit corporation owned and operated by federal, provincial, and territorial governments.
• Aerial firefighting is one critical tool among many. This investment improves response capability and is intended to support ground crews – those who help protect lives, property, and communities during wildfires.
• This investment complements broader efforts to strengthen Canada's wildfire response capacity. Since 2019, in addition to dedicated aerial firefighting capacity, the federal government has committed close to $1 billion to strengthen wildfire resilience and enhance the management of wildfire across the country, including:
  • $284 million for the Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate (FMWCC) Program to strengthen capacities and capabilities in wildfire management across the country and improve prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response efforts by increasing Canada's supply of wildfire firefighting equipment and training firefighters.
    • The FMWCC Training Fund has supported the training of more than 145 wildland firefighters, 199 community wildfire protection trainees, and 744 structural firefighters.
    • Through the FMWCC Equipment Fund, there are agreements signed with every eligible province and territory, representing a total funding commitment of $254.3 million, to support the procurement of wildfire fighting equipment.
  • $285 million for the Wildfire Resilient Future Initiative (WRFI) to enhance prevention and mitigation, support innovation, and establish a centre of excellence.
    • Through the WRFI, $11.7 million was invested to establish the Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada (WRCC) to bring together domestic and international governments, Indigenous fire stewards, wildfire-impacted communities, the private sector, and experts to share knowledge, foster collaboration, and accelerate the use of cutting-edge science and technology in wildfire prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and response.
    • The Resilient Communities Through FireSmart Program has committed over $90 million to support a whole-of-society approach to expand and enhance action on wildfire prevention and mitigation.
    • The Build and Mobilize Foundational Wildland Fire Knowledge has committed $45.7 million to support collaborative mission-oriented research projects, demonstration sites, and mobilize Indigenous fire knowledge
  • $169.9 million for WildFireSat, the world's first government-owned satellite mission specifically designed to monitor active wildfires in Canada daily.

Associated Links

• Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre
• Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program
• Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative
• Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada
• Centre of Excellence for Wildland Fire Innovation and Resilience
• Canadian Wildland Fire Strategy
• WildFireSat

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SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada

Contacts: Soraya Lemur, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, [email protected]; Charlotte Power, Office of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, [email protected]; Media Relations: Public Safety Canada, 613-991-0657, [email protected]; Natural Resources Canada : Media Relations, 343-292-6096, [email protected]; Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, Kelsey Winter, Executive Director, [email protected]