DEH CHO - Two fire crews were eager to get on the plane at the Fort Simpson airport on May 26 that would take them to assist with forest fires in Alberta.

Three fire crews from the Deh Cho were among eight crews from the territory that were sent to Alberta on May 26. The crews of Deh Cho 1 and Deh Cho 6 included back row, from left, Mark Vital, Jonas Duntra, Jim Deneron, Michael Sassie, Donald Lomen and Manny Vital, all of Fort Liard, as well as Kelly Pennycook, a departmental agency representative; front row, from left, Joseph Villeneuve Jr., Quinton Horesay, Myles Barber, Allan Cli and Lyall Tsetso of Fort Simpson. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The five-person crews of Deh Cho 1 from Fort Simpson and Deh Cho 6 of Fort Liard were part of the first export of fire crews from the territory this year. They were accompanied by Jim Deneron of Fort Liard, a task force leader, and Kelly Pennycook of Fort Simpson, a departmental agency representative.

In total the territorial government sent 44 fire management personnel to Alberta including six other crews from Fort Providence, Inuvik, Norman Wells, Behchoko, Yellowknife and Fort Smith.

The crews were briefed in Edmonton before being deployed to fires in the Fort McMurray region of the province.

While waiting for the plane, Jim Deneron, who's been working on fire crews for 25 years, said there's a sense of excitement around being deployed.

"We're just going over there to help out," he said.

Being exported gives crews the chance to work on different fires. Fire behaviour in Alberta is different than it is in the territory, said Deneron. Multi-crew exports also offer the chance to work with crews from the rest of the territory, some of whom he's worked with in the past, he said.

Manny Vital, the crew leader for Deh Cho 6, said being exported gives crews the chance to learn from other crews and fire technicians.

"It feels good because you go all over the place and see lots of different country," he said.

Vital, who's been on fire crews since 1998, said he's been exported almost every summer to provinces including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and B.C. Being on a crew lets you work with your friends and keeps you in shape, he said.

"It's pretty good being on the fire every year. It makes you healthy by the end of the year," said Vital.

Being on a five-person crew really gives you a chance to get to know your crew mates, said Joseph Villeneuve Jr, the crew leader for Deh Cho 1. Because the crew spends most of its time together while on export, you have a lot of time to find out about the background of your fellow members, he said.

While waiting for the plane, Villeneuve fitted some last minute items in his luggage. Each crew member takes a daypack and a large overnight bag on export. The bag contains everything they'll need, including personal clothes, a sleeping bag, tarps and a tent for camping on the land.

Villeneuve, who was on his second export as crew leader, said he and the crew, are excited for the opportunity to go to Alberta.

"They're pumped and ready to go," he said.

When the crews left there were 40 wildfires in Alberta. Since April the province has recorded approximately 515 fires that have burned 330,000 hectares.

The crews and other fire management personnel are exported under the Canadian Interagency Mutual Aid Resources Sharing Agreement (MARS Agreement). The agreement allows firefighting equipment, personnel and aircraft to be shared between the participating provinces and territories. It also outlines the terms under which the resources can legally be shared, how they will be made available, the costs involved and the conditions for their return.

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