A fire ban that covered most of the southern half of the territory has been lifted thanks to recent sustained rains and “favourable forecasted weather conditions,” Yukon Wildland Fire Management said in a bulletin June 4.
The ban had covered the Whitehorse, Teslin, Haines Junction, Ross River, and Watson Lake fire management areas.
“Last week’s fire ban was enacted to limit the risk of human-caused fires during a period of extremely hot and dry conditions and high operational wildfire requirements,” Wildland Fire Management director, Damien Burns, said in the bulletin.
“We appreciate Yukoners’ respect for the fire ban as we work to ensure the safety of our communities during this early start to the fire season.”
A fire ban in Kluane National Park remains in place.
Wildland firefighters are currently suppressing or monitoring eight fires in the Yukon.
Among them is the human-caused Bear Creek wildfire, visible from Haines Junction and which, at last mapping, was 652 hectares in size and not under control. According to an update the night of June 3, fire activity has recently been “very minimal” thanks to rain, and crews have made “excellent progress establishing and consolidating hose lines and fire guards.”
“Crews continue to find and extinguish spot fires outside the north end of the fire’s defined edge,” the update said.
An update from June 2 said that wildland fire crews from Ontario and Whitehorse had arrived to assist, with 85 firefighters assigned to three divisions that are each responsible for a portion of the fire’s perimeter. Five helicopters are also providing waterbucketing as crews on the ground create fire guards.