The final tab for battling wildfires across the province this season is likely going to be another doozy, given the eye-popping price tag for putting out last year’s blazes.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), the final tally for the 2025 wildfire season came in at $273 million — about 60 per cent more than what was spent in 2024.
The funds cover everything from wages for the province’s fire ranger crews to fuel for its waterbomber fleet and other provincial and contracted aircraft used in firefighting.
Since the province’s public accounts aren’t finalized until the end of March, taxpayers may not know the amount of the 2026 wildfire season bill until next fall. The 2025-26 public accounts weren’t released until the end of September.
Wildfire season officially ends on Oct. 31. The current season has been even worse than 2025.
According to Ontario’s Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) agency, wildfires have so far this season burned a combined area across the province of nearly 7,500 square kilometres, compared to 6,000 square kilometres for the same period last year.
Most of the burning has occurred in western Ontario, which includes the Northwest.
The long-term average is about 2,660 square kilometres.
When wildfire season begins in early April, the ministry sets a base budget of $150 million, “allowing us to put contracts in place so we can respond immediately” to fires, a ministry spokeswoman said this week.
Most seasonal fire ranger contracts end by Oct. 31. However, 20 fire crew leader positions were converted to permanent positions this year, supporting the province’s “long-term goal of shifting from a predominantly seasonal workforce to one with greater year-round capacity.”
Meanwhile, the cost of fighting wildfires continues to flare up.
“We are making a historic $650 million investment to expand the province’s firefighting air fleet, with six new waterbombers and five new helicopters,” the MNR spokeswoman said.
The ministry has also “added over 170 permanent fire personnel since 2024, including crew leader positions, and increasing compensation for frontline staff, including firefighters and pilots.”
