Amazon opens Canada's first wildfire disaster relief hub in Edmonton

Amazon is opening Canada's first dedicated Disaster Relief hub in Edmonton, one of 12 such facilities worldwide and the second specialized in wildfire response.

The facility will stock roughly 180,000 items that wildfire responders and non-profits need most — supplies that can be pulled and sent to relief organizations like the Canadian Red Cross within hours rather than days. Full operations begin in October 2026.

"Wildfire season in Canada is starting earlier, lasting longer, and becoming harder to contain," said Abe Diaz, Amazon's head of disaster relief. "Wildfires don't wait — and neither do we."

Amazon has responded to over 200 disasters worldwide, donating roughly 30 million items. The company employs more than 7,000 people across the Prairies and 46,000 employees across 100 Canadian facilities, with a national investment footprint of $40 billion since 2012. Back in 2019, Amazon pulled inventory to support the Ottawa flood response, but the company shifted to proactive stockpiling in 2021 after noticing the same items were needed year after year.

Canada's last three fire seasons ranked among the 10 worst on record. In 2023 alone, wildfires consumed 16.5 million hectares — nearly seven times the historical average.