Wind a concern in Haines Junction-area blaze

by CHUCK TOBIN  Star Reporter

A fire that roared to 1,300 hectares since being reported 10 km west of Haines Junction Saturday night isn't threatening the southwest Yukon community. However, a shift in wind direction could be troublesome, says a federal official.

Gord Dumas is the head of fire management for the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. He told reporters today that 40 firefighters, a fire management team and a group of water bombers will arrive from Ontario to assist in suppression efforts.

Suppression attempts are now being handles by 25 Yukon firefighters, several bulldozers and water trucks.

Air support is being provided by all six retardant bombers stationed in the territory, along with DC-7 borrowed from Alaska that must return there today.

Compounding hot and dry conditions over the last week in the area is the presence of beetle-killed spruce stands that provide the most volatile fuel source there is, Dumas said.

"It has a moisture content that is somewhat equivalent to kiln-dried lumber," he said. Beetle-killed fuel causes "fire behaviour that is second to none in the country," he added.

Dumas estimates the cost of fighting the blaze has probably reached the $100,000-mark in fewer than 48 hours, given the 40 retardant loads applied by the bombers throughout Sunday, and the cost of recruiting the Alaskan DC-7.

The cause of the fire, reported at 8 p.m. Saturday, is said to be a debris pile from a logging operation that was set on fire this past winter. It continued to burn inconspicuously through the winter and spring months, Dumas explained.

The fanning effect of the predominate south winds from the Alsek valley pushed the fire size to 200 hectares almond immediately. Dumas said the strong winds – reaching gusts of 60 km/h and more, continued Sunday and were a key factor in the fire's rapid growth.

The narrow, long shape of the fire, measuring some two km across and eight km from the rear to the head, is evidence of the wind's prevailing influence, he said.

Fire sprinklers and firefighting crews are positioned at the nearby MacKintosh Lodge to protect the property. The 30 or so homes in the MacKintosh subdivision on the south side of the North Alaska Highway across the road from the lodge are also free of any immediate danger, he said.

Nonetheless, steps are being taken by the Yukon's Emergency Measures Organization to ensure emergency response methods are in place should evacuation be necessary.

Haines Junction Mayor Susan Burton said from her home this morning that village representatives met last night with fire management officials and local community groups involved with emergency measure procedures.

There was to be another meeting today to keep all parties well abreast of the fire situation, she said.

All the key players are fully aware, and in constant contact," Burton said. "We are certainly on the alert, but are not in the panic stage. It is better to be organized."

Because of the fire's elongated shape that runs north, efforts are being concentrated on the east side of the fire closest to Haines Junction. That would give firefighters an edge is the winds start to come out of the west, Dumas said.

As it is now, he explained, the head of the fire is relatively narrow, but a wind shift could quickly turn the much larger east flank into the head.

Dumas said the seasoned Ontario crews were called in under a national exchange agreement to assist for a couple of reasons.

The Yukon's complement of firefighting staff are set up to handle the initial attack.

Dumas said to move the initial attack crews into the area from around the territory would leave those areas with an unprotected risk. And because of the volatile fuel conditions that are creating the unpredictable fire behaviour near Haines Junction, it would not be wise to use extra firefighters who don't have the training for full-time firefighting staff, he indicated.

Dumas said the fire boss is optimistic that a bulldozer line, augmented by hose crews, will extend at least half-way up the east flank by the end of today.

By Tuesday, there should be 70 firefighters on the fire. They'll be supported by seven bulldozers, four water tanker trucks, and one squadron of air support that will include the six retardant and two water bombers as well as two more helicopters borrowed from B.C. and the Northwest Territories.

Three of the Yukon's retardant bombers were stationed in Dawson City when the Haines Junction fire broke out. They returned to Whitehorse and joined the other three bombers in a day-long air attack.

Part-way through Sunday, three of the bombers began flying from the Carmacks retardant base to reduce the line-up at the Whitehorse base.

Dumas said it takes about 20 minutes to deliver a retardant bomber load from Whitehorse and Carmacks as they're about the same distance from the Haines Junction fire.

But because the CL-215 water bomber can load off of the nearby Pine Lake, it should be able to drop a load every five minutes, Dumas said.