Photo: Courtesy of Wildland Fire
Planes filled with Yukoners from Old Crow have now landed in Whitehorse to support evacuees from the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
YUKON – 2 Yukon communities remain empty with only emergency personnel left to fight ongoing fires.
Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee, Minister of Community Services Richard Mostyn, Yukon government officials, Na-Cho Nyäk Dun First Nation Chief Dawna Hope, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Chief Pauline Frost, Kwanlin Dün First Nation Chief Sean Smith, and Mayo Mayor Trevor Ellis spoke in detail about the wildfires causing evacuation orders in Old Crow and Mayo.
Travel advisories are in place due to wildfires for the Dempster Highway north of Tombstone Territorial Park and the North Klondike Highway between Stewart Crossing and the Dempster Corner.
Evacuation alerts due to wildfires are in place for Keno and the Hecla Mine, the Sixtymile area south of the Top of the World Highway, the Dublin Gulch area, and Kilometres 10 to 35 of the Silver Trail.
The Talbot Creek Fire threatening Mayo is now 5,000 hectares in size and crews are continuing to work on securing the northern and western edges of the fire, that has been smoldering the ground. Protection is still being installed in Mayo with a dozer guard in place around the town.
Meanwhile, in Old Crow, Wildland Fire Information Officer Haley Ritchie says there is no direct threat to Old Crow.
“The evacuation of Old Crow is a little different than the situation that took place in Mayo. There’s not one fire advancing towards the community. But instead, there’s a number of fires in the region and an incoming weather event that could produce a lot more smoke and a potential for ember transfer from fires towards old crow. So high winds are expected as a cold front moves into the region later today, these winds will see increased fire behaviour. These are not the type of fires that allow for direct attack like what’s happening in mail right now.”
Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Chief Pauline Frost says there are a number of threats around Old Crow that may spread with the high winds forecasted for the next few days.
“To the north of us, there’s a fire burning at 12 kilometers and another one for approximately 30 kilometers which is pretty hot right now. So we taken the necessary time to draft and prepare an emergency plan done in collaboration with the emergency measures organization. Without the plan we would not have been so efficient in getting our citizens out of Old Crow in such a timely fashion.”
Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee is urging Yukoners evacuated to contact Emergency Social Services to register for support or register upon arrival at the Canada Games Centre.
