YUKON - The Yukon government says it is sending firefighters to Alberta and Saskatchewan to help fight wildfires in those provinces.
It says five initial attack crews and one agency representative are headed to Alberta, while one division and a supervisor trainee will leave for Saskatchewan on Sunday.
The Yukon is also sending its heavy air tanker, an L-188 Electra, accompanied by its flight crew.
Personnel can be deployed for up to 19 days depending on the needs of the receiving agency. Personnel can be recalled within 24 hours if needed in the Yukon. It says it is able to send crews because fire activity is currently low in the territory, but the government will continue to evaluate its ability to send additional resources. This assistance was requested through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
The Government of Yukon is a member of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. When jurisdictions need additional resources, they put in a request through this national organization.
Internationally, the Yukon shares firefighting resources within the Northwest Compact, which includes the Yukon, Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Alaska, Washington, Montana, Idaho and Oregon.
Minister of Community Services Richard Mostyn said,“The Yukon is proud to stand together as Canadians and support our friends in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Our commitment to mutual aid enables us to most effectively use our resources to protect communities across our country.”
