Hinton, other Alberta communities pushed to ramp up wildfire mitigation [Video]

The provincial government is requesting Hinton and other communities in Alberta undertake more wildfire mitigation work in the wake of the Jasper wildfire last summer.

Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen sent Hinton Mayor Nicholas Nissen a letter outlining the actions the province would like to see taken, including establishing larger fireguards around the community.

“While I am pleased that many communities have applied for fireguard funding, I have concerns that the proposals are not broad enough to reduce the negative impacts of a Jasper-like wildfire event,” Loewen wrote.

Surrounded by coniferous trees at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Hinton is situated in a wildfire-prone region of the Alberta foothills.

Hinton has seen multiple blazes over the past few years and taken in evacuees from neighbouring communities, including the 2024 Jasper wildfire to the west and the 2023 Yellowhead County wildfires to the east that forced Edson to evacuate more than once.

“The Forest Resource …