Flight disruptions, unpredictable highway closures as Yukon fires continue
The Lacelle Lake fire seen from the Aishihik Road. (Submitted by Kenny Joe)
Residents in the Dawson City area continue to closely monitor nearby fires as evacuation alerts remain in place for West Dawson and Henderson Corner, following a long weekend with changing road conditions, smoky skies and new fires across the territory.
With heavy smoke continuing Monday, flights in and out of the Dawson City airport were cancelled.
“We received many phone calls,” said Noby Yamamoto from the desk at Klondike Experience, a tour company that offers shuttle services in Dawson. “They are looking for ways to get to Whitehorse.”
Yamamoto says two 47-seat buses helped charter passengers down the North Klondike Highway to Whitehorse Monday, about 600 kilometres away.
Shuttle vehicles were guiding traffic for part of the day Monday. By the afternoon, the highway had closed again.
“What we are asking is for folks to check 511Yukon.ca for the latest,” said Julia Duchesne, spokesperson with Yukons Protective Services, noting highway conditions can change quickly. Duchesne said wildfires are most active in the afternoons and early evenings, and highways are most likely to be open or have pilot vehicles late at night and early in the morning when wildfire activity is lower.
The territory issued evacuation alerts Friday for two areas around Dawson City. One is for the Dempster Highway cutoff and Henderson Corner, including some properties along the North Klondike Highway, which are being threatened by the Mount Leotta fire. The other alert is for West Dawson and Sunnydale and properties along the Top of the World Highway where the Quebec Creek fire is a threat.
In an update Monday afternoon, fire officials said the Quebec Creek fire had minimal growth toward Upper West Dawson. Duchesne says two dozer guards are now in place south of the fire. She says residents will notice more work in the coming days.
“That’ll look like big portable water tanks, pumps, hoses and sprinklers set up on homes and infrastructure,” she said. Meanwhile crews near Henderson Corner are conducting tactical burns,” she said. “Protecting some of the critical infrastructure there such as the power lines and the highway.”
With heavy smoke expected to continue in the days ahead, Duchesne says staying inside or wearing a mask will help reduce exposure. The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Community Hall is also open as a clean air shelter and hub for community members in the Dawson City area.
As of Tuesday morning, the Yukon has a total of 63 fires. Officials are closely following eight of those, including the Lacelle Lake fire up the Aishihik Lake Road. Multiple families, including elders and children, from the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations were out on the land in the area over the long-weekend.
“It’s an isolated area,” said Chief Barb Joe, pointing out there’s only one road in and out.
“My brother Kenny, who was helping with the fire crew, was actually one of the people stuck overnight,” said Joe.
The chief says with the help of Wildland Fire crews everyone was able to get out of the area by late Monday afternoon.
A fire evacuation alert also remains in place for the North Ferry Hill fire along the Silver Trail in the Mayo district.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Fires restricted in much of Yukon as weather warms, CBC News
Finland: Last week’s wildfires in Northern Lapland cost taxpayers more than €100k, Yle News
Norway: Smoke from Canadian wildfires forecast to reach Norway, The Associated Press
Russia: New NOAA report finds vast Siberian wildfires linked to Arctic warming, The Associated Press
Sweden: High risk of wildfires in many parts of Sweden, including North, Radio Sweden
United States: Wildfires in Anchorage? Climate change sparks disaster fears, The Associated Press
