OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 30, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and the Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services, reflect on a challenging wildfire year by thanking those who helped and continue to help protect Canadians.
2025 has been the second worst wildfire season in Canadian history, with more than 6,000 wildfires in nearly every province and territory, impacting communities across the country and burning over 8.3 million hectares. While the situation continues to improve, wildfires are still impacting parts of the country due to hot and dry weather.
Since April, the heightened risk and impacts have forced evacuations of more than 85,000 people, including over 45,000 people from 73 First Nations communities. These numbers represent the lived experiences of thousands of people, including families forced to leave their homes, communities rallying together, and responders working tirelessly to protect lives and property.
The impact of the wildfires is widespread requiring strong collaboration across all orders of government. Through partners like the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), the federal government and provinces and territories have worked together to share firefighting resources and will continue to do so until communities are no longer under threat. Ministers are deeply grateful for the partnership of provincial and territorial colleagues, and extended their sincere thanks to first responders, the Canadian Armed Forces, humanitarian organizations, volunteers and emergency management officials who are working tirelessly to keep people safe and support evacuees this year.
This year's wildfire response has been a collective effort. Firefighters, emergency responders, volunteers, local leaders, Indigenous fire stewards, and all orders of government worked together to protect communities. Federal departments and agencies, including the Canadian Armed Forces, the Canadian Coast Guard, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Health Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Parks Canada, PrairiesCan, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and Public Safety Canada, played key roles on the ground and behind the scenes. Over 1,590 international firefighters came to help battle the wildfires and organizations like Canadian Red Cross, The Salvation Army, St. John Ambulance, Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC) and Team Rubicon Canada, along with many others at the local level, providing critical support, including shelter, first aid, and mental health services.
Canadians across the country showed their generosity by donating to wildfire disaster relief through the Canadian Red Cross 2025 Wildfire Appeals in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Even as the most active wildfire period has passed, some regions are still facing active fires. To those still affected, the Government of Canada remains fully committed to supporting these communities through these difficult times.
At the same time, many other regions have moved from response to recovery. Communities across the country are rebuilding and healing, showing strength and resilience in the face of adversity. The Government of Canada remains engaged in supporting these recovery efforts and in helping Canadians prepare for the heightened wildfire risks that lie ahead through the modernized Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program.
The DFAA is a key federal program that helps provinces, territories, and municipalities rebuild. In recent years, disasters like wildfires, floods, and landslides have become more frequent and more costly. The DFAA ensures the federal government remains a strong and reliable partner in response and recovery. Through this program, the Government of Canada helps provinces and territories cover the extraordinary costs of rebuilding homes, restoring infrastructure, and implementing mitigation measures that strengthen long-term resilience. Launched in April 2025, the modernized DFAA expands federal support and focuses on helping communities not only recover but rebuild in ways that make them stronger and better prepared for future disasters.
The Government of Canada is also preparing for future wildfire seasons by making investments of over $800 million for wildfire initiatives to strengthen prevention and mitigation efforts across the country. Initiatives like the Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada (WRCC) and the Canadian Centre for Recovery and Resilience are advancing wildfire resilience by fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, proactive recovery and planning, and adaptive wildfire management. The WRCC will also advance many of the actions in the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter, agreed to by the leaders of the G7 this spring in Canada and endorsed by the leaders of Australia, India, Mexico, the Republic of Korea and South Africa.
Quotes
"This year's wildfires have impacted every part of the country and firefighting efforts are still ongoing in certain areas. Firefighters, emergency crews, volunteers, and local leaders have been working around the clock to keep people safe and support evacuees, and I want to thank them for everything they've done. As some communities remain focused on the immediate response, others have already started the work of rebuilding. Our government will be there on the long road to recovery -- helping communities build back, prepare for the risks ahead, and draw on the strength Canadians have shown through these difficult times."
- The Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada
"Many communities suffered the impacts of wildfires in 2025. I am grateful for the tireless dedication of our frontline workers and crews from partnering countries that protected Canadians this season and continue to aid in recovery efforts. The federal government is committed to protecting Canadians, building resilience, and reducing wildfire risks in the future."
- The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
"This wildfire season has been especially devastating for First Nations across the country, with at least three out of every five people evacuated from First Nations communities. I'm deeply grateful to the evacuee support teams and those who fought the fires--community leaders, firefighters, Elders, and many others. I witnessed courage and resolve in the face of extraordinary conditions. My department and I are steadfast in our commitment to supporting First Nations during emergencies and recovery. We will keep working together--grounded in Indigenous knowledge--to protect lives, strengthen community resilience, and reduce the impact of future wildfires."
- The Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services
"Wildfires have deeply affected communities across Canada this season, and the strength shown in response has been truly moving. Thank you to the people who rallied together on the ground and behind the scenes to protect one another and support recovery. Continued collaboration, strategic investments, and strong partnerships will remain central to supporting recovery and enhancing community preparedness for future wildfire risks."
- Anthony Housefather, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience
Quick Facts
- The Government Operations Centre coordinated emergency response nationally, 24/7, and supported 13 Requests for Federal Assistance (RFAs) from provinces and territories, including:
- Manitoba: Five RFAs to support with evacuation efforts, including for Pimicikamak Cree Nation, Garden Hill First Nation and Mathias Colomb Cree Nation. Funded by the Humanitarian Workforce program, St. John Ambulance provided medical first responders and psychosocial support, and SARVAC helped set-up shelters and assisted evacuees. The Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada facilitated sending supplies from the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile to the province
- Ontario: One RFA to support the evacuation of Sandy Lake First Nation.
- Saskatchewan: Two RFAs for wildfire suppression and personnel transport.
- Newfoundland and Labrador: One RFA to support wildfire response. The Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard provided incident management and evacuation support. Through funding under the Humanitarian Workforce program, Team Rubicon Canada provided incident management and rapid assessments, and SARVAC provided supports to evacuated communities. Supplies from the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile were also sent to the province.
- Nova Scotia: Three RFAs for accommodations, logistics, refueling, and access to Canadian Armed Forces aircraft maintenance facilities.
- Northwest Territories: One RFA to send supplies from the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile to the territory.
- To date, the Government of Canada has committed $188 million through the Humanitarian Workforce program to help organizations like the Canadian Red Cross, The Salvation Army, St. John Ambulance, SARVAC, and Team Rubicon Canada to develop and maintain capacity to respond quickly to emergency events and provide critical on-the-ground support to provincial, territorial and local governments.
- The Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada will bring together domestic and international governments, Indigenous fire stewards, communities impacted by wildfires, the private sector and individual experts to share knowledge, facilitate collaboration and accelerate the use of cutting-edge science and technology in wildfire prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response.
- The Canadian Centre for Recovery and Resilience helps communities, especially smaller or those less experienced in disaster recovery, plan for how to recover and rebuild in ways that reduce risks to future disasters like wildfires. It offers direct support, tools, and training to all levels of government.
Associated Links
- Wildfires: Federal Response - Canada.ca
- Requests for Federal Assistance Process
- Detailed list of requests for federal assistance
- Government Operations Centre
- Humanitarian Workforce
- Kananaskis Wildfire Charter
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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, 343-574-6781, [email protected]; Media Relations, Public Safety Canada, 613-991-0657, [email protected]
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