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Evacuation alert near Dawson City rescinded

Rain calmed the Coal Creek fire and it is no longer necessary for people to prepare to flee it.
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An evacuation alert affecting an area near Dawson City has been rescinded as the Coal Creek fire was calmed by rain. (Yukon Protective Services/Facebook)

Evacuation alerts for neighborhoods outside Dawson City affected by the Coal Creek fire have been rescinded and there is no longer a need for the people there to prepare to leave on short notice.

The alert issued on Aug. 3 had affected properties along the North Klondike Highway from kilometer 680 to Hunker Creek Road and at Rock Creek and Henderson Corner. It was rescinded on Aug. 9.

Yukon Protective Services had expressed hope that rain on Aug. 7 and 8 would quiet the fire’s growth.

Their hopes were realized and an Aug. 9 statement from Yukon Wildland Fire Management says that while the fire is still burning, the likelihood of it spreading further towards the areas that had been on evacuation alert is extremely low. The overall fire danger rating is also low.

As of Aug. 9, the lightning-caused fire was burning at 7,109 hectares. It is 5.5 km northeast Henderson Corner, 5 km north of the North Klondike Highway and 7.5 km west of the Dempster Highway.

Wildland fire is still monitoring the blaze and stated they would notify the public of any changes.

Contact Jim Elliot at jim.elliot@yukon-news.com



Jim Elliot

About the Author: Jim Elliot

I’m a B.C. transplant here in Whitehorse at The News telling stories about the Yukon's people, environment, and culture.
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