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Elsa, Keno under evacuation alert

The Shanghai Creek wildfire is about seven kilometres east of Elsa.
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An evacuation alert has been issued for kilometres 83 to 111 of the Silver Trail Highway, which includes the communities of Elsa, Keno City and the Hansen Lakes area, is due to increased risk from the wildfire. (Yukon Protective Services/Facebook)

An evacuation alert has been issued for kilometres 83 to 111 of the Silver Trail Highway, which includes the communities of Elsa, Keno City and the Hansen Lakes area.

The alert - which means people need to be ready to leave within two hours - comes in light of the Shanghai Creek wildfire about seven kilometres east of Elsa.

As of July 20, the fire was approximately 2,300 hectares in size and had spread south.

While action had slowed the fire’s spread, unstable weather proved challenging for crews, it was highlighted July 20 on Yukon Protective Services Facebook page. Crews were prioritizing structure protection while work on the south and west part of the blaze was also happening.

“The fire does not pose an immediate threat to nearby values including a mining site, energy infrastructure, and the communities of Elsa and Keno,” the Facebook post noted. “However, a structural protection specialist has been assigned to this fire to assess the best ways to ensure the wildfire resilience of all nearby values.”

The evacuation alert advises that in preparing to evacuation, residents must locate all family members and designate a safe meeting place; gather all essential items (such as medication, glasses, valuable papers, etc.); arrange for transportation if an evacuation order happens; arrange for accommodation (though emergency accommodation may be provided if required); and keep up to date on the fire status and impact via news sources or the Yukon government website.

Currently Mayo, Old Crow and Ross River are listed as being at extreme fire risk while Antimony Creek, Atlin, Carcross, Dawson, Iron Creek, Stewart Crossing and Willow Creek are listed as being at moderate risk.

All other fire regions are listed as being at low risk.

Contact Stephanie Waddell at stephanie.waddell@yukon-news.com



Stephanie Waddell

About the Author: Stephanie Waddell

I joined Black Press in 2019 as a reporter for the Yukon News, becoming editor in February 2023.
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