Canada fire hit as government cut spending on prevention, planes

By Nia Williams
CALGARY, May 5 (Reuters) - Alberta's cash-strapped
government cut funding for wildfire prevention, including
millions for programs created in response to the province's last
major fire disaster, just weeks before a raging fire swept
across the city of Fort McMurray, forcing a mass evacuation as
hundreds of homes burned to the ground.
The cuts, some of which have not previously been reported,
came as Alberta struggled to cope with a prolonged slump in oil
prices that has reduced tax revenue, and as climate change makes
fires more frequent and damaging in Canada's vast boreal forest.
Alberta, which projects a C$10 billion deficit this fiscal
year, does not have a fixed budget for fire fighting, with
spending rising and falling based on need.
But the government, which took power a year ago, does set
budgets for fixed costs, including contracts with companies that
operate air tankers, and programs meant to prevent damaging
fires, areas where the latest cuts in April were made.
In a statement, the ministry responsible for wildfire
management said it had deferred some projects meant to prevent
fires, saved money on discretionary travel, uniforms and
facility maintenance, as well as cutting air tanker contracts.
"Regardless of the fiscal situation, when wildfires occur in
our province, we take the necessary steps to protect Albertans,
communities, and forests," it said in a statement.
One cut was to funds set aside to implement recommendations
from the 2011 Slave Lake fire, which destroyed more than 300
homes. The ministry said it cut that budget by C$5.3 million,
nearly 17 percent.
Firefighters have been unable to stop the Fort McMurray
wildfire, which has charred 210,000 acres (85,000 hectares)
since it erupted on Sunday and exploded in ferocity amid hot,
dry, windy weather conditions.
Separately, data requested by Reuters showed that funding
for FireSmart, which pays for prevention projects such as tree
thinning in vulnerable communities, dropped 45 percent in the
last fiscal year, to C$7.5 million. The government said it has
not yet set that program's budget for the current fiscal year,
but it did say it plans to defer some projects.
Alberta also cut spending on contracts with private
companies that operate water bombers in the province. While the
cut did not affect the number of planes available to fight in
Fort McMurray, the companies said it could hurt capacity in the
future, especially as climate change extends fire seasons.
"Personally, I wouldn't have cut them back," said Tom
Burton, one of the experts brought in to make recommendations
after the Slave Lake fire, on the water bomber contracts, citing
concerns contractors might relocate to other regions.
"If that resource isn't there when they need it, that impact
could be more than the savings they made in the budget."
The air tanker companies, Air Spray and Conair, bid on the
assumption that their contracts would be for 123 days, but the
province opted to sign a firm contract for only 93 days, saving
C$5.1 million.
Both companies said they were focused on fighting fires, not
their dispute with the province. But they also said lost revenue
may force them to lay off workers, reducing the number of air
tankers at the province's immediate disposal.
"We are potentially looking at cutting staff," said Paul
Lane, vice president at Air Spray. On Wednesday, he was
traveling to Red Deer, Alberta to look for ways to prevent
layoffs. "If these cuts stand, we may have to lay people off."
Jeff Berry, director of business development at rival
Conair, said his company may need to lay people off at the end
of the fire season.
Burton, who serves on a committee that allocates some
FireSmart funding, said Alberta is ahead of other provinces in
spending on those projects. The government said it has 775
firefighters lined up for this season, up from 555 in 2011.
When asked on Wednesday about the fact the fire came in the
midst of Alberta's financial crunch, Premier Rachel Notley said
the government would be "strategic and intentional."
Asked whether "strategic" meant the government lacked the
money to properly deal with the issue, Notley said: "That's
absolutely not what I'm saying."
The Insurance Bureau of Canada warned in a 2015 study that
climate change had made forest fires more frequent, a trend that
would likely continue and contribute to rising costs associated
with extreme weather events.
($1 = 1.2863 Canadian dollars)