Yukon First Nations Wildfire

Yukon First Nations Wildfire Protecting the North. www.yfnwildfire.com

Who is Yukon First Nations Wildfire?Yukon First Nations Wildfire (YFNW) is a Limited Partnership owned and operated by n...
08/30/2026

Who is Yukon First Nations Wildfire?

Yukon First Nations Wildfire (YFNW) is a Limited Partnership owned and operated by nine Yukon First Nations. We use inclusive hiring practices, with a strong focus on creating training, employment and leadership opportunities for Yukon First Nations people.

YFNW operates nine Type-1 Initial Attack crews trained to Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) standards. These crews work alongside our partners at Yukon Protective Services from regional wildfire bases across the territory, helping protect Yukon communities, infrastructure and lands.

YFNW also operates two 20-person Type-2 Unit Crews. Our crews are trained to a Type-1 CIFFC standard but are not currently recognized at that level because they are non-government resources. YFNW is advocating to change this so that Indigenous and other non-government crews are recognized according to their training, qualifications and capabilities.

For the past five years, one YFNW Unit Crew has operated under a service contract with the Yukon Government, supporting wildfire response as a territorial asset wherever needed. The crew has also been exported through CIFFC as a Type 2 resource to assist other jurisdictions.

Our model is built around a simple principle: use trained indigenous local capacity first.

We support this approach in the Yukon and across Canada. When qualified local and Indigenous resources are ready and available, they should be given the opportunity to protect their lands, support neighbouring communities and gain valuable operational experience.

Especially before international resources are brought in.

YFNW is proud to work with our partners to strengthen wildfire response in the Yukon while building long-term capacity, opportunity and resilience within Yukon First Nations communities.

08/29/2026

As the 2026 wildfire season comes to a close for our Initial Attack Crew Members, Yukon First Nations Wildfire would like to thank you for your hard work, commitment and professionalism.

Throughout the season, you answered the call and represented Yukon First Nations and the Yukon with pride. On every deployment, especially those outside Canada, you demonstrated the skill, strength and professionalism of our crews while gaining valuable knowledge and experience that will benefit our communities for years to come. The Yukon is better for it.

We also thank our partners at Yukon Protective Services for helping create these deployment opportunities and supporting our crews in gaining important experience.

YFNW will always work to make each season better for you than the one before it. We will continue strengthening our workplace culture and relationships so that you are treated fairly, given equal opportunities and able to deploy to help others in need.

We are proud of everything you accomplished this season. Have a safe, healthy and productive winter and we hope to see you back in 2027.

08/28/2026

As the 2026 wildfire season comes to a close, we want to thank our Unit Crews for their hard work, professionalism and commitment.

This season, our crews made a real difference while deployed in the Northwest Territories, supporting communities and demonstrating the strength and capability of Indigenous-led wildfire response. We are incredibly proud of how they represented YFNW, their communities and the Yukon.

We will continue to advocate for these firefighters and the opportunities they deserve. We wish every crew member a safe and restful shoulder season, and we hope to welcome them back in 2027.

Canada is at National Preparedness Level 5 which is the highest tier there is. That's supposed to mean every available r...
08/25/2026

Canada is at National Preparedness Level 5 which is the highest tier there is.

That's supposed to mean every available resource is already committed, which is why crews from Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand are on the ground in BC and Ontario right now.

Except certified indigenous crews across Canada have been standing by, waiting for a call that hasn't come.

That's not a capacity problem so much as a counting problem and our crews aren't part of the math.

We're asking territorial and provincial governments for real equity: right of first refusal for certified Indigenous crews, and equal standing in how wildfire resources are allocated.

Not a favour. Equal opportunity, for crews who've already proven they're ready.

08/25/2026

Help us preserve Yukon's wildfire history

YFNW is on the hunt for pieces of Yukon's wildfire history, and we'd love your help.

We're especially looking for original Initial Attack Agreements, anything connected to Indigenous wildfire crews, and records tied to the devolution of wildfire responsibilities in the Yukon.

Do you have documents, photos, stories, or other materials tucked away? Or know someone who might? Tag them below or reach out to us directly.

This history belongs to all of us, and we would be honoured to help keep it alive.

This is exactly what we've been saying and now it's on the record.Nearly half of the Yukon government's wildland firefig...
08/21/2026

This is exactly what we've been saying and now it's on the record.

Nearly half of the Yukon government's wildland firefighters were sent out of territory last month to help fight fires in BC and the NWT. Meanwhile, our crews were standing by, trained and ready, and were told there wasn't capacity to send us south to help.

We're not the only ones. New Brunswick's Wabanaki Wildland crew says they're seeing the exact same thing: ready and waiting while international crews are called in instead.

As our CEO Nick Mauro put it: "The wildfire system we currently operate in Canada wasn't made for the transfer of Indigenous resources. It's meant to transfer government resources, and get governments to help each other."

It's time that changed, at the territorial, provincial, and federal level.

We're not asking for a favour. We're asking why we're being skipped.YFNW has trained, certified crews within Canada. Rea...
08/21/2026

We're not asking for a favour. We're asking why we're being skipped.

YFNW has trained, certified crews within Canada. Ready to be on a BC fireline faster than any crew flying in from overseas.

Local. Certified. Ready.

Every dollar spent flying in international crews is a dollar that could go straight to the First Nation Crews we have st...
08/19/2026

Every dollar spent flying in international crews is a dollar that could go straight to the First Nation Crews we have standing by. We guarantee that it costs less to deploy a crew from the Yukon to BC than it does from Mexico or Costa Rica.

Prove us wrong.

We didn't build this readiness to stay parked at home while other international resources are called on. We built it to ...
08/18/2026

We didn't build this readiness to stay parked at home while other international resources are called on.

We built it to answer the call, no matter where it comes from. Get us to the line and we will show you why it's better to buy local.

Happy Discovery Day, Yukon! Today marks 130 years since gold was discovered in Bonanza Creek in 1896, a moment that chan...
08/17/2026

Happy Discovery Day, Yukon!

Today marks 130 years since gold was discovered in Bonanza Creek in 1896, a moment that changed the course of the territory forever. It's a day to reflect on where the Yukon has come from, and to celebrate where it stands today: a territory shaped by strong communities, rich traditions, and land worth protecting.

However you're spending the long weekend, with family, out on the land, or at a community event, we hope it's a safe and memorable one.

Please note our office will be closed today, Monday, August 17th in observance of the holiday.

From all of us at Yukon First Nations Wildfire, happy Discovery Day!

Address

100 Platinum Road
Whitehorse, YT
Y1A6A9

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18676677258

Website

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