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Department of Community Services
2006 - Yukon Wildfire Bulletins
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Current Fire Danger Ratings Wildfire Bulletin #15 June 26, 2006 - 9:15 AM Multiple Fire Starts Keep Firefighters Busy Over Weekend Wildland firefighters were kept busy on the weekend with new fire activity. The MODIS satellite detection system picked up a new fire east of the Dempster Highway on Saturday, near Ray Creek. It is thought to be a holdover lightning fire from at least nine days ago. The fire is five hectares in size and is being monitored. Elsewhere, another lightning fire was discovered near the abandoned Casino Mine site in the Beaver Creek District. That fire is estimated at 20 hectares in size and is not immediately threatening the site. Watson Lake also reported a new lightning fire in the wilderness zone near Lootz Lake. It is approximately 20 hectares in size. On Sunday morning, a human caused fire, about three kilometers south of Carmacks was called in by the RCMP. It was a small spot fire and was quickly extinguished. Also on Sunday, one new lightning fire was reported in the Carmacks District. Carmack #6 was a spot fire that has been taken over by the Carmacks Volunteer Fire Department. Carmacks #7 was a spot fire near McCabe Creek that was brought under control with retardant and ground support. Both fires are out. The Mayo district also reported a human caused fire on the Silver Trail near Stewart Crossing. A two person crew quickly extinguished the .01 hectare. In the meantime, approximately 50 personnel are working on the Mt. Hanson fire, south of Pelly Farm. The fire had significant growth on the weekend, mostly on the west perimeter. Fire crews, both air tanker groups and helicopters worked through the weekend to secure fire lines. High winds and extreme fire behavior forced crews off the fireline for part of the day yesterday as the fire reached the Yukon River. The fire is now estimated at 1288 hectares. Site protection is ongoing for some values on the north side of the Pelly River and on the Yukon River. Several cabin owners on the Yukon River were asked to leave their cabins as fire crews set up sprinklers to protect them. There are numerous other values in the vicinity of the fire, including Pelly Farms and Ft. Selkirk. All of the structures have remained intact thus far. Fire Management has its Incident Command Post and fire camp set up at Pelly Farm. Crews and equipment are continuing with site protection today, and cat lines are being put in across the head of the fire. The current fire danger rating is low to moderate across the territory with the exception of Carmacks which is extreme and Haines Junction which is high. There have been 36 fires in the Yukon so far this year. Wildland Fire Management is reminding the public to be careful with fire; never burn in windy conditions, keep a water source nearby and ensure fires are completely extinguished before leaving the area. We also want to thank the public for continuing to report wildfires. -30- For Yukon Wildfire updates, call 1-800-826-4750 Current Fire Danger Ratings |