It was the slowest forest fire season on record since the GNWT began taking note in 1975.

Only 85 fires were reported last year, burning a total of 27,089 hectares. In comparison, there were 655 fires reported during the NWT's worst forest fire season, in 1994, when 3,027,314 hectares burned.

Bill Mawdsley, manager of forest management services for Renewable Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, said last summer's unseasonably wet weather was the main cause.

"It was a cool, wet summer which was an unusual event for the Northwest Territories," said Mawdsley.

It was a slow season the year before, as well, when only 127 fires were reported.

It was so slow last year in fact, NWT forest firefighters spent more time outside the territory than they did at home.

"We sent out around 120 individuals, which is way more than we've ever done before," said Mawdsley.

Sending fire crews abroad is common practice. When it gets busy up here, crews from other parts of Canada may be sent to the NWT to fight forest fires.

Last year, NWT crews were shipped to fight fires in several provinces -- including Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario -- and even into the U.S. Mike Morin, who worked as forest firefighter for several years, was one of those crew members sent south last summer.

He went first to Saskatchewan followed by a stint in Oregon.

"When I got back from Saskatchewan we fought two fires within a few days and then I was sent to Oregon so I wasn't up North for most of the summer," said Morin.