The NWT’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) is sending firefighting resources to assist the Government of Alberta with its wildfire situation near High Level.
According to an email from ENR spokesperson Joslyn Oosenbrug, three firefighting crews from the South Slave region and two crews from the North Slave region, plus an agency representative from the Sahtú are being exported to High Level and are to arrive Monday.
The NWT is also sending two division supervisors from the South Slave plus two Task Force Leaders, one from the Sahtú and one from the North Slave.
They were to arrive Monday in Edmonton.
There are two active wildfires burning in the High Level area.
The Chuckegg Creek wildfire remains out of control at 275,985 hectares or about 2,750 square kilometres.
The Jackpot Creek wildfire near Steen River also remains out of control at 27,945 hectares or about 2,790 square kilometres.
There are 67 firefighters and 9 helicopters working on the Jackpot Creek fire, according to Oosenbrug.
As of Monday morning, there were 58 wildland firefighters, 25 helicopters, 5 Airtankers and 8 pieces of heavy equipment positioned throughout the High Level Forest Area to action any new wildfire starts.
Along with human resources, ENR’s Forest Management Division is also supplying hose bags, hoses, pumps and water bladder tanks to High Level.
These resources are in addition to the ENR Information Officer and air tanker group currently stationed in Fort McMurray. The 802 tanker group has been flying every day since it arrived in Alberta last Wednesday.
Another ENR Information Officer has also been exported to Whitehorse to assist the Yukon with its wildfire situation.
As an agency within the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), the Government of the Northwest Territories is proud to share its resources with other Canadian jurisdictions to assist in their wildfire operations.