Province launches community wildfire prevention program

The Newfoundland and Labrador government has launched a new program aimed at helping communities reduce wildfire risks and better protect homes, infrastructure and the environment.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Community Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation Program is designed to help communities identify wildfire hazards and take steps to lessen them through local risk assessments, fuel management planning and mitigation activities.

The province says the initiative will also strengthen emergency preparedness at the community level by providing guidance to property owners on how to better protect their homes from wildfires.

Communities are being encouraged to apply for funding to develop Community Wildland Fire Resiliency Plans that will include public education, emergency planning and vegetation management to support wildfire prevention and mitigation projects.

The initiative is part of expanded FireSmart programming in the province, with a provincial committee expected to work with Indigenous governments and organizations, municipalities, local service districts and other agencies.

The program is supported by a $12.8-million joint investment from the federal and provincial governments under Natural Resources Canada’s Resilient Communities through FireSmart program.

Applications for the funding are open until March 10, 2026.

The province says the initiative follows a severe wildfire season in 2025, when 249 wildland fires were recorded — more than double the historical average of 118. Those fires burned more than 18,400 hectares, destroyed hundreds of structures and forced thousands of residents to evacuate.