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Department of Community Services
2004 - Yukon Wildfire Bulletins
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Current Fire Danger Ratings Wildfire Bulletin #71 August 17, 2004 - 12:00 PM Two New Wilderness Zone Fires, Site Protection Ongoing There were two new fires reported over the weekend, both of them lightning-caused and both are in the wilderness zone. One of the fires is in the Ross River district south of Niddery Lake at 300 hectares in size. The other is 30 hectares by the Hart and Pelly Rivers in the Dawson district. There are no values at risk on either of these fires, and they will continue to be regularly monitored by Wildland Fire Management (WFM). In other news, a member of the public reported smoke in the area of the Lewes Lake fire in the Whitehorse district on Friday night. Fire crews found a small hot spot within the perimeter of the fire and extinguished it. The Mount Lorne Volunteer Fire Department will be closely monitoring the fire over the next few days. The Watson Lake district experienced increased fire activity this weekend. The Frances Lake fire, Watson Lake #17, made a run seven kilometers south towards a grader station in the area. The fire is now within two kilometers of the grader station but has not advanced any further. The Little Jimmy fire also moved closer to a cabin and a bridge. As a result fire crews established site protection and are continuing to work on these fires. Many parts of the Yukon were smoky over the weekend. A cold front from the north pushed smoke from existing fires in the Yukon and Alaska southward. Fire activity also increased in parts of the territory which also contributed to smoky conditions. With the stable air mass over the Yukon, there will be smoke in many parts of the Yukon for several more days. The Yukon is experiencing unseasonably high temperatures for this time of year. Normal temperatures for the southern and central Yukon are 18 to 19 degrees. Day time highs in these areas have been in the mid to upper 20's. This trend is expected to continue until at least Friday. Temperatures will cool slightly on the weekend. However, a ridge of high pressure is forecast to rebuild early next week, keeping temperatures in the low to mid 20's. Advisories WFM is asking the public to be extra cautious with campfires and to ensure that they are completely extinguished. Campfires must never be left unattended. Yukoners are also reminded that burning permits are required for the burning of brush and debris and will only be issued if conditions allow, and it is asked that persons contact their local district office for burning restrictions before burning. For updated information on highways, call Highways and Public Works at 1-877-456-7623. For more information on the current fire situation call Wildland Fire Management at 1-867-456-3845. There have been 258 fires in the Yukon this fire season burning approximately 1.7 million hectares. -30- For Yukon Wildfire updates, call 1-800-826-4750 Current Fire Danger Ratings |