B.C. sends more firefighters to battle flames in Alberta, Yukon

More than a 100 extra firefighters from British Columbia are being sent to help battle blazes in other provinces.

The call for help comes through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which co-ordinates the sharing of firefighting resources between B.C. and other jurisdictions.

Early next week, 137 personnel with the B.C. Wildfire Service — six unit crews and one incident management team — are heading to Alberta, where thousands of people have been forced from their homes due to intense wildfires.

Six firefighters and one fire camp manager will be sent to the Yukon.

As of Saturday afternoon, B.C. has two wildfires of note burning in the north of the province: one at Alkali Lake and one at Black Angus Creek, both in the Northwest Fire Centre.

The province is not concerned that sending firefighters away could impact fire-fighting abilities here.

"Considering the current and forecasted fire situation in British Columbia, sufficient personnel and resources remain in the province to respond appropriately to any fire activity here," the province said in a statement.

Crews are deployed for up to 19 days out of B.C., at the expense of whichever jurisdiction requested the help, but can be called back at any time.

The province previously sent more than 250 firefighters to Alberta mid-last week, who will be returning to B.C. when their 19-day deployment is up.

Sharing firefighting resources is invaluable, the province said, and noted the help both Alberta and the Yukon provided during the last two record-breaking wildfire seasons in B.C.