In what was to be the second rescue of the week, Whitehorse firefighters were again called into action last Saturday.

Whitehorse Fire Chief Clive Sparks said today members of his department received a call on Saturday afternoon to assist in the rescue of an injured mountain biker on Grey Mountain.

'We received a call just before 4 p.m. from the ambulance service requesting our assistance,' Sparks said in an interview.

He said after rescue workers had tried to reach the injured rider by ATV, they called in a Wildland Fire Management helicopter to help out because the terrain was difficult to navigate and it was hard to reach the injured rider.

'From where they parked their vehicles (the ATVs), it was 1,000 feet from where he was,' Sparks said.

'The area he was riding in was extremely steep; I'm not sure how he got up there,' Sparks said.

'Somehow, he was riding his bike down the mountain.'

He said the helicopter was able to land on the mountain close to where the rider had tumbled and the injured rider was taken to the airport and then transported to Whitehorse General Hospital.

According to hospital officials, the man, whose name wasn't released, was treated in the emergency ward and was sent home in 'satisfactory condition.'

Sparks said the helicopter had to return to the mountain to pick up the rescue workers because it was safer than trying to navigate the steep mountain terrain.

'It (the helicopter) was certainly needed on this one,' he said.

Last Friday, members of Sparks' team were called in to assist the RCMP and Marsh Lake fire and rescue and ambulance workers in a 'rope rescue' of an ATV rider near the Yukon River Bridge south of Whitehorse.

The ATV rider had fallen nearly 90 metres (300 feet) down a mountainside and was struck with his own vehicle.

The rider was airlifted to the hospital, where officials said he was treated and evacuated to another medical facility.

Sparks said this was the fourth person saved in three rescue efforts this summer.

'This certainly raises concerns over the need to be careful in the back country,' he said.

'Those areas are wilderness. The further people go in those areas, the harder it is to get them out.'

He said it was important for anyone travelling in wilderness areas to be aware of the dangers and be cautious.