A fire burns near High Level, Alta. on May 21, 2019 in this handout photo from the Alberta Government.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Chris Schwarz, Government of Alberta
June 02, 2019 - 8:30 AM
VANCOUVER - The BC Wildfire Service says more than 130 personnel are being deployed to Alberta this week in order to assist with increasingly out-of-control wildfires.
The service says 137 people, including 116 firefighters, will be deployed in Alberta for up to 19 days.
The Alberta deployment includes six unit crews, or groups of 20 firefighters, who typically work on large fires and who can remain self-sufficient in the field for up to three days.
Seven personnel will also head to the Yukon to tackle growing wildfire threats, including two initial attack crews who are usually the first on the scene of a new wildfire and work to quickly set up water pumps and remove fuel from the fire's path.
A crew of more than 260 people sent to Alberta in May will also return to B.C. later this week.
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which coordinates the sharing of firefighting resources between B.C. and other provinces, made the request for assistance.
In a statement, the wildfire service said sufficient personnel and resources remain in B.C. in order to respond to any fire activity in the province.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2019