Thirty firefighters from British Columbia that arrived in the territory yesterday are expected to be sent today to fight wildfires in central and northern Yukon.
Twenty more are scheduled to arrive today from Alberta, and will be dispatched to the same areas.
On Tuesday twenty firefighters and two helicopters were still going at a 105-hectare fire burning 23 km north of Stewart Crossing that started over the weekend.
Fire officials were also assessing a 500-hectare fire burning 13.5 km west of Fort Selkirk, and looking to put sprinklers to protect the heritage site.
Since Sunday there have been 27 new fires, all but one caused by lightning.
There are currently over 100 active fires in the Yukon, which prompted the call for help from the Outside.
That, combined with 197 active fires in Alaska, has created smoky conditions throughout the territory.
It’s the second time in a month the territory has had to call for help because of the intense wildfire season. Firefighters from Ontario were sent to the Yukon in late May.
The situation isn’t much better in Alaska: the state had to call for over a thousand personnel to assist with fires, including 40 from Canada. Alaska has been dealing with an estimated 266 human-caused fires and 171 lightning-caused ones since the beginning of the season.
To report a fire, call
1-888-798-FIRE (3473)