Work continues to suppress the wildfire that has been burning near homes and the Alaska Highway in the Ibex Valley since Saturday afternoon. The update provided by Yukon Wildland fire management on the evening of July 9 states that the fire is covering an area of approximately 270 hectares and remains out of control. It was not growing towards the Alaska Highway or nearby residences as of the most recent update.
On Sunday, the fire perimeter was being worked by a 17-person unit crew from Yukon First Nation Wildfire, two three-person initial attack crews, three wildfire officers and the Yukon Fire Marshal Special Heavy Operations Team (SHOT). Five helicopters, an airtanker group and heavy equipment also worked on the fire throughout the day.
The heavy equipment had built a dozer guard overnight on July 8 which was then reinforced the following day. Fire personnel added to the guard on the fire’s west flank closest to the road. Yesterday’s work on the guard includes hand ignition.
“Carefully burning strips of unburnt vegetation with driptorches increases the defensible area where crews can set up equipment to fight the fire from,” the July 9 evening update from wildland fire reads.
Structure protection, often in the form of sprinklers on rooftops was in place at some locations near the fire by the early morning hours of July 9 but Wildland Fire said additional protection was deployed through the day.
With westerly winds of 15 km/h in the forecast, fire behaviour is expected to increase today but Wildland Fire expects the work done over the weekend will check its growth in the direction of homes or the highway.
An evacuation alert extending from kilometre 1472 to kilometre 1440, roughly from the bridge where the Alaska Highway crosses the Takhini River to Echo Valley Road, remains in place. It covers all properties both north and south of the highway and ends at the Whitehorse city limits. Advice the Yukon Government has provided to those on alert includes connecting with all household members to establish a safe meeting place, moving grab and go bags to an easily accessible location, arranging transport and gathering essential items such as medication and key documents.
The fire is visible from the Alaska Highway. It has rendered the skies hazy and orange in Whitehorse. The highway remains open but motorists are being urged, both by Wildland Fire bulletins and traffic control workers on scene to drive through the affected area without stopping.
The cause of the fire is still not known but according to Wildland Fire Management an investigator was on scene Sunday.
