Six members from Cochrane Search & Rescue are among the thousands of people fighting the roughly 90 wildfires raging on in central and northern Alberta. 

Andy Potton, search manager with Cochrane Search & Rescue said he's been up north for a week and will remain throughout the Victoria Day long weekend. 

"I was called to assist with the Grande Prairie team as the search manager, using my search management experience and incident management experience to coordinate what resources were available and then as taskings were tasked of the team, to deploy those resources."  

The wildfire situation is still fluid said Potton, and it's unclear whether or not he will be called in to help for a second time after he returns to Cochrane. 

“There’s always a chance that civilian search and rescue will be required and these resources who are available will be deployed. For myself I can't plan on going anywhere because I can only take so much time off of work and time away from family. I am hoping to done by the end of Monday, but it really does depend on where everything goes and what happens."

Potton said the groups that are there to help along with the locals have banded together. 

"Extremely positive. People pull together really well. Communities pull behind the people who are there to provide that firefighting and firefighting assistance response. It's a positive, people are working really well together."

So far this year, more than 490 fires have burned 765,000 hectares of land across Alberta. 

Potton said the team is ready to act should the need arise locally. 

"Cochrane Search & Rescue has members on active standby in Cochrane for our local RCMP and fire for our service area from the west of Calgary right to Canmore."

Potton has been a member of Cochrane Search & Rescue since 2011.

There are currently 72 volunteer members with Cochrane Search & Rescue.