The Government of Yukon is sending seven Wildland Fire Management specialists to the states of Washington and Oregon to assist with wildfire response efforts. They depart on August 14 and 15.
Personnel are available to assist Washington and Oregon because fire activity in the Yukon remains low. Adequate crews and support staff remain at all Yukon fire bases.
The deployment reflects the long-standing practice of mutual aid and cooperation among wildfire management agencies. As fire activity shifts across North America throughout the season, trained personnel and specialized resources are shared to help jurisdictions respond to periods of increased wildfire activity.
Yukon Wildland Fire Management regularly participates in resource-sharing efforts when local conditions allow and when operational demands require it here. A collaborative approach ensures firefighting expertise is available where it is needed most while maintaining readiness to respond to wildfires in the Yukon.
Wildfire knows no boundaries. We are pleased to help our American friends, as they have helped us, with specialized wildfire personnel to fight fires threatening communities in Washington state and Oregon. This deployment reflects the cooperation established through the Northwest Fire Fighting Compact and our commitment to our neighbours. I also encourage all Yukoners to continue to be vigilant as we head outdoors to enjoy the Discovery Day long weekend.
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The Government of Yukon is a member of the Northwest Fire Fighting Compact, commonly known as the Northwest Compact.
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The Northwest Compact supports wildfire resource sharing among member jurisdictions in Canada and the United States.
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The length of each deployment will depend on the needs of the receiving agency.
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The resources deployed include:
- two time recorders and two task force leaders to Oregon;
- two task force leaders to Washington state; and
- one agency representative to Washington state.
Tim Kucharuk
Press secretary, Cabinet Communications
867-335-2419
[email protected]
Wayne Potoroka
Communications, Community Services
867-332-9427
[email protected]