Alberta to invest 400 million dollars in new water bombers to modernize wildfire fleet

The Alberta government says it will spend 400 million dollars to strengthen its aging fleet of water bombers, part of a long term strategy to address increasingly severe wildfire seasons across the province.

Premier Danielle Smith announced the agreement with De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, which is expected to deliver the first of five new aircraft in 2031. The remaining planes will be phased in over subsequent years.

Smith said the investment is separate from the roughly 160 million dollars Alberta allocates annually for wildfire response operations. The province has faced longer and more destructive fire seasons in recent years, including widespread evacuations affecting rural and northern communities.

Forestry Minister Todd Loewen said the current fleet continues to operate safely and still has service life remaining. However, he said the government chose to expand and modernize capacity now rather than wait for older aircraft to be retired.

Wildfires have placed growing pressure on provincial resources, with impacts on air quality, infrastructure and local economies. Officials say adding new aircraft is intended to improve response times and strengthen Alberta’s preparedness as climate conditions contribute to heightened fire risk.