Fires may flare up

Two large forest fires were successfully battled over the weekend, both in the vicinity of Watson Lake.

Keith Kepke, the head of the fire control unit in the federal forestry branch, said about 20 firefighters now have a 12-hectare fire under control in the Toballay Lake area, about 130 kilometres northeast of Watson Lake. Kepke said over three-quarters of the crew consists of an "emergency firefighter" volunteer force.

Another fire burned over 50 hectares about 115 kilometres north of Watson Lake, but it is also under control.

Kepke said both fires are believed to have been started by lightning. The fire hazard in the Watson Lake area is high, he said, and showers over the weekend lowered it only marginally.

A third, much larger, fire has consumed about 810 hectares in the Contact Creek area of British Columbia, about 50 miles east of Watson Lake and five kilometres south of the Yukon border. Kepke said it is burning close to the Alaska Highway and is being fought by the B.C. Forestry Service. So far the highway is not threatened and cooler weather has slowed the fire.

All of the Yukon east of the Donjek River is very dry, Kepke said, and lightning could touch off other fires.

So far, he said, this year has been quiet. There have been only 31 forest fires to date compared to about 36 last year. However, this year the fires, so far, have been smaller. Kepke said only 10 per cent as much money has been spent so far on suppression.

But forests are tinder dry and could flare up if the weather turns warmer.

"It's really quiet here. You have to tie that into temperature. It's been extremely cool this year. But it's very dry here, you have the potential for a bad fire."

He said temperatures in the 25 Celsius range were responsible for the Watson Lake fires and warned a few days of similar temperatures here could also end up in bad fires.

Kepke said forestry now has short-term contracts for helicopters to replace those lost when Shirley Helicopters was forced into receivership and withdrew its fleet.

Three 31-day contracts have replaced the Shirley contract, one with Keystone Helicopters of Atlin and two with Okanagan Helicopters for specially-equipped Bell 206s. The 206s are equipped to handle foresty's rappel team, who lower themselves from the helicopter into treed areas to cut landing pads.

Kepke said the short-term contracts cost about 15 per cent more than the Shirley contracts despite forestry attempts to find the best deal.

Longer contacts would have required calling tenders, but firefighting cannot wait for that. A contract for a larger helicopter is going to tender because of its cost, so forestry will rent a helicopter as it is needed.

Fire warnings for the Yukon are: Whitehorse, Watson Lake, Ross River, extreme; Teslin, very high; Carmacks, Pelly Farm, high; Haines Junction, moderate; Beaver Creek, low; Mayo, Dawson City, Old Crow, nil.