A fire in Tagish that burnt down two structures and also set surrounding bush ablaze May 7 is under control, with the remainder of the flames expected to be put out tonight.
Yukon Wildland Fire Management received a call at 2:05 p.m. Tuesday about a structure fire on Tagish Estates Road that had spread to nearby trees, fire information officer Mike Fancie confirmed on May 8.
An eight-member Wildland Fire crew, along with three trucks and a helicopter, arrived at the scene at 3:20 p.m, where they were joined by “a number” of nearby volunteer fire departments, he said.
The crews’ initial responses included using the helicopter to bucket water onto the fire as well as an on-ground attack, and the fire was deemed under control by 9:15 p.m.
Crews demobilized at 10:30 p.m. after determining the fire was no longer a risk to other structures, Fancie said, and seven Wildland Fire crew members returned this morning to continue putting out the remainder of the flames.
Fancie said the fire burned five hectares in total, and that crews expect to have it completely put out by the end of the day.
In a Facebook post the afternoon of May 7, Carcross/Tagish First Nation wrote that a propane tank had exploded at a residence, causing another tank to blow up as well. Although the First Nation initially said that two homes had been lost, it said in an update the afternoon May 8 that only buildings on the property had burned down.
There are no reports of injuries.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.
Contact Jackie Hong jackie.hong@yukon-news.com