Students vying for a chance to fight wildfires in the Yukon

The next generation of wildland firefighters is being whittled into shape in Whitehorse.

A 12-day intensive boot camp called "Beat the Heat" is putting their physical and mental skills to the test. If the students pass, they'll get a ticket to join a unit crew with Yukon First Nations Wildfire.

First, the 40 hopeful students have to endure a daily firehose of new information, topped with gruelling workouts. 

Tyrel Kassi from Old Crow, Yukon, said he planned to challenge himself the best he could. He hadn't set out to join Beat the Heat — it was more of a happy accident, he explained. 

"My buddy just signed me up. I was kind of stuck between different jobs here and there, and eventually I got accepted," he said. 

He's now set his sights squarely on joining the unit crew.

"Throughout the days I've been here, it's been really, really good to learn — honestly, all the things they're saying — it's like personal goals and the challenges they they put on you," he said. 

"I won't judge myself on where I'm at if I don't make it. If I do, then great. But I could try again and again. [I'll] just keep being determined to succeed and just do a good job."

Kassi said he had particularly enjoyed the tough sessions designed to replicate on-field scenarios. 

However Nazar Feduniv — a recent arrival from Ukraine — said that had been the hardest part for him.

"A lot of people here came prepared. Some of them, from other countries, are from the armies, like they've had an army course.... I can't say that about myself," he said.

"Though I can see improvements every day." 

Students have already had to make the cut just to get into Beat the Heat.

Lead instructor Hyder Bos-Jabbar said Yukon First Nations Wildfire carried out rounds of interviews. The course — which was already held four times last year — had more than 100 applicants. 

"We predominantly try [to] focus on recruiting local youth where possible. And by youth, I mean anyone ... as young as 16 years old, to mid-30s, sometimes older. We really try prioritize people who want to work in wildfire settings. In the past, we've had individuals who came through just looking to get certification and move on. We want to be able to employ these individuals afterward," he said.

He said the latest tranche of students included people from Ukraine, Nigeria, East India, the Philippines, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand, as well as different Canadian provinces.

"It's really exciting. It means that we're getting a dedicated core. It's really rewarding to see everybody show up and be passionate toward the subject and wanting to do the course and accomplish it and do well."

The students will be trained up to a Type 2 standard.

Bos-Jabbar said that means completing a number of exams and tests, focused on things such as incident command systems and radio operation.

"They will then do our Beat the Heat Wildfire examination, which is just teaching them about all the different wildfire fundamentals that they've learned throughout the course here.... the safety suppression, all the different activities and tools that they need to use out there, and the proper terminology for everything," he said.

After that comes the WFX Fit test, he said. Students have to complete the fitness examination within a certain time to be eligible to work on a fire crew. 

"So it isn't as simple as just attending and coming ... You've actually got to really put in the effort."

If the students pass the course, Bos-Jabbar said they'll get a chance to put their new skills straight to practice in wildfire mitigation across the Yukon, and possibly in Alberta and B.C. as well.

"They will be called up and they will go out to the fires and they will assist government resources, making sure they contain the fire and suppress the fire activity," he said. 

"We're seeing more and more wildfires pop up earlier and earlier in the season. And as we're seeing this year, we have less snow than average. So having readily available Yukon resources that can be deployed is a huge benefit."

On Friday, the end of the Beat the Heat course will be celebrated with a community BBQ at the Yukon First Nations Wildfire headquarters in Whitehorse.