Phase 2 Engagement

Share your feedback on the draft WUI Wildfire Risk Strategy from December 8 to 22

The City of Edmonton is creating a plan to manage the risk of wildfire in areas where urban developments meet undeveloped vegetation areas - the wildland-urban interface.

The Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Wildfire Risk Strategy will proactively address the increasing threat of wildfires in urban areas due to climate change and expanding urban development.

A long-term strategy would prioritize reducing the potential of physical and economic losses from wildfires, protecting people, property and the environment.

Overview of Draft Strategy

This overview of the first WUI Wildfire Risk Strategy draft structures the strategy's approach under four proposed pillars: Reduce, Educate, Respond, and Coordinate. Within these pillars, proposed actions are presented for feedback on steps that the City of Edmonton and Edmontonians can both take to collectively increase wildfire resilience, such as minimizing potential ignitions, increasing community awareness, advancing preparedness efforts, and collaborating with external partners and neighboring jurisdictions.

You can view/download the PDF presented in this video here: WUI Wildfire Risk Strategy Draft Overview Presentation. A transcript of the presentation is also available: Presentation Transcript.

Feedback on Draft Strategy

After watching or reading the overview, please share your feedback on the draft Strategy.

Phase 2 public engagement is at the ADVISE level of the City's Public Engagement Spectrum, which means your feedback will be considered when we look at finalizing the Strategy.

Resources

Here is a glossary of important words you might read when learning about the WUI Wildfire Risk Strategy project:

  • Wildland-urban interface (WUI): an area where human development (residential, industrial, agricultural) meets or is intermingled with wildland vegetation
  • Wildland vegetation: natural vegetation found in undeveloped areas, including trees, shrubs, grasses and other herbaceous vegetation
  • Vegetation management: an approach to mitigate wildfire risks by managing wildland fuels, specifically by controlling the amount and type of fuel that can sustain a fire
  • Embers: small burning pieces of vegetation and/or structures
  • Ember showers: when burning wildfire embers are carried by the wind and can travel ahead of the main fire
  • Fuel conversion: introducing plants that are less likely to ignite and spread fire in key WUI areas (e.g. removing coniferous trees and shrubs like spruce, pine and juniper, and replacing with deciduous trees and shrubs like aspen, birch, and poplar)
  • FireSmart: a national program to help Canadians increase neighbourhood resilience to wildfire and minimize its negative impacts (more info)

Looking for more information on how to prepare or reduce the risk of wildfire for yourself, your property, and your community? Here are some resources to help you:

Phase 1 Engagement

Phase 1 Engagement: Complete!

Phase 1 engagement ran from May to September 2025. Thank you to all who participated!

The purpose of this first phase was to understand public perception of wildfire risk, assess preparedness, identify preferred wildfire mitigation activities and pinpoint priority areas where the City should focus its wildfire risk management efforts. The feedback gathered in this phase has helped shape the first WUI Wildfire Risk Strategy draft.

Click Download below to read the summary of Phase 1 engagement. A full What We Heard Report will be published when the project is complete after Phase 2.

Phase 1 What We Heard Summary

What do you need to be better prepared for wildfires?

Note: Your comments will be public. Please do not share any sensitive personal information.

17 July, 2025

Reginald Armstrong says:

California has taught us that preparedness is of little merit if appropriate and available response is absent. Tanker trucks, rapid units ..

17 July, 2025

Concerned Citizen says:

How severe is the risk in cities for massive fires such as Lesser Slave Lake, Fort Mac, and Jasper?

16 July, 2025

Some guy says:

Putting firebreaks down fence lines (the naturalization program seems a bit ambitous)

14 July, 2025

Jim says:

Some simple one-page explainers on what I can do to be prepared for wildfires - how to prepare house and yard - how to make a bug-out bag

11 July, 2025

V says:

How to get information to beginner English as second language users.And to get info out for our of town visiter

9 July, 2025

Eric says:

Opt in text notification for wildfires in YEG

9 July, 2025

Smokey says:

Prescribed fire in construction landscaping areas with dry grass and weeds

9 July, 2025

Pam says:

More site-appropriate healthy shrubs, less grass on roadways - less mowing maintenance and risk of dry leaves in summer. Line of sight ok

9 July, 2025

Heather says:

Vigilance about encampment removals in forested or grassy areas

9 July, 2025

BB says:

Remove ladder fuels in high risk river valley forest

9 July, 2025

BOgs says:

Incentives for wildfire mitigation maintenance and repairs - materials, plant recs per location type - ecological & structure recommendation

8 July, 2025

Marcupio says:

Promote the danger of flicking ashes & throwing cigarettes out the car window. Once it's a habit people do it whether near brush or forests

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