Evacuation alerts issued for some areas around Dawson City, Yukon, because of wildfires
Alerts issued Friday for areas around Dempster Highway cutoff and Henderson Corner, as well as West Dawson
Evacuation alerts have been issued for some residents in the Dawson City, Yukon, area because of nearby wildfires.
An alert was issued Friday afternoon for areas around the Dempster Highway cutoff and Henderson Corner, including properties between kilometres 693 and 672 of the North Klondike Highway.
The alert — which is not an order for residents to leave their properties — is because of the Mount Leotta fire, which was discovered on Thursday afternoon and had grown to 160 hectares by Friday.
An alert was also issued on Friday for West Dawson, including all properties along the Top of the World Highway between kilometres 1 and 36. That alert was issued because of the Quebec Creek Wildfire, which was also identified on Thursday and had grown to about 300 hectares on Friday.
The Top of the World Highway also remains closed because of the fire.
An evacuation alert is intended to give people time to prepare in case an evacuation order is later issued. Residents under an evacuation alert are advised to make a plan with family members, gather essential items and have a "grab-and-go" bag ready, make plans for pets or livestock, and arrange transport in case of an evacuation.
If an evacuation order is issued, people should be prepared to leave within three hours of notification.
Wildfire risk in the Yukon has significantly increased in many areas in recent days as the weather warms. The weekend forecast is calling for temperatures in the mid- to high-20s in many regions, with occasional thunderstorms possible.
A level-3 fire restriction came into effect for most of the territory on Friday afternoon, meaning fires for cooking or warming are only permitted in fire pits or other containers.