*Editor’s note: This web story differs from the included TV story to reflect updated numbers.
An unprecedented number of lightning strikes have hit the Yukon in recent weeks causing a surge of wildfires across the territory.
According to a press release by Yukon government’s Wildland Fire Management branch, 21,671 lightning strikes caused 136 new wildland fires as of June 29.
“The high level of lightening activity has been caused by a stable high-pressure weather pattern called a Rex block that has led to both hot weather and roving, isolated thunderstorms,” the release states.
“While the forecast says conditions could shift later this week, Yukon’s firefighters are working on major fires in every fire management district.”
As of July 11, there are currently 177 active wildfires in the territory. The community of Mayo, located 405 km north of Whitehorse, has the most active fires at 43 and is currently under an evacuation alert.
“I think the past week has been pretty like unsettling for people,” says Joella Hogan, a Na-Cho Nyäk Dun First Nation (NNDFN) citizen who lives in Mayo.
Hogan says the air in Mayo was smoky last week and air quality was poor, leading NNDFN to evacuate some elders to Dawson City and Whitehorse, though most have since returned.
She adds the community was slow to receive updates and telecommunications issues caused by the Rogers’ outage did not help the situation.
“Definitely it’s the topic of conversation, (like) where the fires are and what cabins are at risk. Everybody’s saying ‘is your bag packed? Is your bag packed?” she says.
Last week while driving on the North Klondike Highway, the road closed due to wildfire activity and Hogan had to follow a pilot car to safety.
She says the experience was emotional as the fires were not far from her community.
“A lot of what ifs start coming into your head, like what would this mean if we all have to evacuate, and images of (the wildfires in) Lytton last year and Fort McMurray a few years ago, all of those images of people evacuating start coming,” she says.
Hogan says as of Monday wildfire activity seems to be less severe and the air is no longer as smoky.
“People around town are definitely feeling a little but better this morning, but we know the fires are still all burning around us.”
Territory taking action
So far the wildfires have burned 121,147 total hectares and the territory is continuing to see new wildfires everyday.
The territorial government has set up an emergency shelter at the Canada Games centre in Whitehorse to help people who have had to evacuate or are stranded from road closures.
Clean air shelters have been deployed to the communities of Old Crow, Beaver Creek and Mayo and additional shelters are being made available to communities as needed.
Firefighting crews from B.C. are also in Yukon to help with the situation, including a 100-person fire camp that’s been set up in the community of Pelly Crossing.
A Yukon wildland fire activity report from July 10 states an incident management team from B.C. has taken command of a fire on Crystal Creek near Stewart Crossing, as well as the Upper Willow Creek fires and other fires in Yukon’s Tatchun and Northern Tutchone regions.
Crews continue to work on existing fires in the communities of Watson Lake and Beaver Creek. Those fires are displaying subdued fire activity after receiving precipitation. Some fires in the Mayo area also received varying amounts of precipitation and crews continue to work on them.
On Monday a portion of the North Klondike Highway, as well as a portion of the Robert Campbell Highway, which was affected by a recent washout, reopened for travel.
According to several federal reports, wildfires will grow in number and intensity because of climate change.
