A spreading wildfire has led to an evacuation alert for Victoria Gold Corp.’s Eagle Mine site. According to a Yukon Wildland Fire Management representative the evacuation alert was prompted by the East McQuesten River fire’s southward growth to within five kilometres of the South McQuesten Road on July 23.
As of noon on July 24, the fire was burning an area of roughly 2,600 hectares. Fire information officer Haley Ritchie said a helicopter, a three-person initial attack crew and a wildfire officer are monitoring conditions and setting up structure protection at mine sites. Along with the large Victoria Gold site there are at least five placer mines in the area. The area affected by the alert roughly centres on the northern end of the South McQuesten Road and ends just north of the Silver Trail.
All those in the evacuation alert area are being encouraged to register with Yukon Emergency Support Services (ESS) by phoning 867-332-4597 to give emergency responders a better idea of the number of people in the area.
Elsewhere in the territory, crews are taking aggressive measures against the Rabbit Creek fire near Dawson. It was reported yesterday and remains less than a hectare in size. The Illusion Creek Fire, burning in a wilderness area south of Little Salmon Lake since early July remains out of control at 23,000 ha.
An evacuation alert remains in place for properties between kilometres 10 and 35 of the silver trail due to the Reverse Creek Fire, currently 3,690 ha in size, out of control and being monitored by Wildland Fire Management.
There are a total of 31 active wildfires in the territory and 56,547 ha of land have burned.