The Yukon government has sent 40 wildland firefighters and four supervisory staff to support British Columbia’s ongoing wildfire response.

The crews left the territory for Kamloops on Monday for a 19-day deployment.

By helping to respond to wildfires in B.C., the government said, Yukon Wildland Fire Management is balancing its responsibility to protect communities from wildland fire and flood risk with the chance to support the territory’s neighbours.

B.C. has often provided wildfire response support to the Yukon.

The deployment also gives Yukon firefighters the ability to broaden their experience, the government added.

“Yukon firefighters have a long history of helping other provinces and territories during difficult fire seasons,” Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn said Tuesday.

“While the weather close to home has turned a bit cool, a hot summer is still challenging wildfire agencies across western and central Canada. I am proud that we can be good neighbours during these difficult times.”

The deployment includes:

• one 18-person, type-1 sustained-action crew;

• three four-person, type-1 initial-attack crews;

• one 10-person, type-2 sustained-action crew; and

• four supervisory officers including an agency representative, a division supervisor and two strike-team leaders.

Teams have been drawn from the Yukon’s six wildfire regions including Dawson City, Carmacks and Southern Lakes, and from Yukon First Nations Wildfire.

Provinces and territories share firefighting resources within Canada through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).

Sustained hot and dry conditions across B.C. triggered the request for help.

The Yukon’s type-1 initial-attack firefighters are trained to a national standard so they can work seamlessly across Canada.

Type-2 firefighters are trained to a level that allows them to safely work in conditions of decreased fire behaviour.