Yukon Wildland Fire Management sent three staff members to Alberta on June 26 as part of an Incident Management Team (IMT) made up of Canadian and American staff.

The IMT is made up of members of the Northwest Wildland Fire Protection Agreement, which is commonly known as the Northwest Compact.

The Yukoners will serve on the team as planning section chief trainee, facilities unit leader and radio operator.

They are working alongside staff from Saskatchewan, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and Alaska.

IMTs are specialized leadership teams assigned to co-ordinate responses to large wildfires.

“This innovative approach to IMT staffing means a team can still be deployed when no agency is able to form its own team,” Wildland Fire Management said last Tuesday.

“This creative solution is a valuable contribution to this record-breaking fire season since IMTs are in high demand in several provinces.”

The Northwest Compact is a collaborative agreement like the Canadian mutual-aid system organized through the Canadian Inter-agency Forest Fire Centre.

The Northwest Compact’s membership includes Alaska, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.

There are 32 Yukon Wildland Fire Management staff currently working on incidents in Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec.

A total of 101 staff have been assigned to such work so far in 2023.

“Wildland Fire Management continues to maintain a high level of initial-attack readiness across the Yukon as the territorial fire season continues,” Wildland said.