Incident Management Team Mobilizations
National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) teams were assigned to five wildfire incidents for a total of 111 days. NIMO teams were also mobilized to three non-wildland fire incidents.
The Incident Management Team Mobilizations in 2023 totaled 97 which is 35% below the 10-year average of 149 mobilizations.
Note: In 2024, the firefighting community will adopt a new Incident Management Team business model. All federal Type 1 and Type 2 Incident Management Teams (IMTs) will become Complex Incident Management Teams (CIMT). More information about CIMTs can be found at the NWCG Incident Workforce Development Group webpage.
NICC received 2,022 crew requests in 2023. Of those requests: 1,212 were filled, 260 were canceled and 550 were Unable to Fill (UTF). The NICC received 860 orders for Type 1 crews, 699 orders for Type 2 crews and 463 orders for Type 2 IA crews. The number of crew mobilizations in 2023 was above both the five and ten-year average.
Crew Mobilizations
NICC received 2,719 engine requests in 2023. Of those requests: 1,876 were filled, 369 were canceled and 474 were Unable to Fill (UTF). The request fulfilled in 2023 increased 4% over the 10-year average of 1,800.
Equipment Mobilizations
Type 6 engines were the most requested engine with 1,653 requests and 1,131 fills. Type 3 engines were the next most requested with 758 requests and 462 fills. The number of engine mobilizations was consistent with the ten-year average.
National Preparedness
National Preparedness Levels generally increased in 2023. Levels 1 and 2: were higher than 2022 and at the close of 2023 were 3% higher than the 10-year average of 289.
Level 3: was lower than 2022, but at the close of 2023 was 27% higher than the 10-year average of 36.
Levels 4 and 5: were markedly higher than 2022 and at the close of 2023 were 80% higher than the 10-year average of 38.
In 2023, Canada experienced an unprecedented wildfire season. While the total number of wildfires increased just 18% from 5,597 (10-year average) to 6,623, the total burned area increased 561% from 6.7 million acres (10-year average) to over 45 million.
Starting in April, the wildfire activity escalated across all provinces and territories, leading to a National Preparedness Level of PL5 on May 11, which remained until dropping to PL4 on September 8.
Elsewhere in North America
The United States was one of 12 countries that mobilized wildland fire personnel to Canada. Through the NIFC-CIFFC Agreement the US provided resource assistance from May through early September to Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.
