BC Budget Includes CA$30 Million in Wildfire Risk Reduction, Equipment, and Training

British Columbia’s 2026 budget includes CA$30 million to expand wildfire risk reduction efforts, supporting local governments, contractors, and First Nations in mitigation work across the province.

The province allocated CA$15 million to the FireSmart Community Funding and Supports program, which prioritizes planning, education, coordination, and fuel-management activities in vulnerable communities. The program operates under BC’s Community Resiliency Investment initiative and works alongside the Crown Land Wildfire Risk Reduction program to reduce wildfire threats on public and Crown land.

Another CA$5 million will go to the Wildfire Reduction Equipment Support Trust (WREST), helping contractors purchase specialized equipment used in wildfire risk reduction and commercial thinning projects. Commercial thinning removes smaller trees and vegetation that can act as ladder fuels, allowing fires to spread into forest canopies.

BC officials noted that logging contractors already play a significant role in wildfire response. During the province’s record-breaking 2023 wildfire season, approximately 450 contractors deployed equipment to assist firefighting efforts.

An additional CA$5 million was directed to the Forestry Service Providers Compensation Fund, which supports contractors who were not paid for forestry work performed on provincial lands after a company became insolvent.

The BC First Nations Forestry Council will also receive CA$5 million to continue the Indigenous Forestry Scholarship program and expand First Nations participation in the forest sector. Delivered in partnership with BC Timber Sales and the BC Wildfire Service, the program provides tuition support, living scholarships, summer work placements, and mentorship. More than 125 students have already joined BC Timber Sales through the initiative.