Inferno delays hundred of weary travellers

by SEAN McNEELY  Star Reporter

FOX LAKE – On Friday afternoon, drivers along the North Klondike Highway were forced to practice the adage "Patience is a virtue".

Crews from the Department of Community and Transportation Services were forced to escort drivers from km 254 to km 274 of the highway because of the thick smoke and dangerous conditions caused by the Fox Lake fire that broke out last Thursday.

Because only one convoy was allowed at a time, drivers had to wait, some for hours, before they could continue on their hot journey.

At about 3 p.m. a dozen vehicles lined the highway at km 254 waiting to be escorted through.

Sitting in their vehicles, drivers could see the cloud of smoke above Fox Lake becoming larger and larger, practically consuming the sky.

Back on the ground, the road was so hot from the warm temperatures, the tar was beginning to bubble. That made walking along the road a sticky experience for those who wanted a better look at the blaze.

While no one was thrilled with being idle on that torrid afternoon, drivers took the delay in stride.

Mary Ovens was on her way to Dawson City to attend a wedding during the weekend.

For her, it was a long afternoon, as this was the second time she was stopped. She had originally tried to get through at noon. After sitting for an hour, she turned her car around and spent some time relaxing at the shore of Fox Lake. She returned to find nothing had changed.

Ovens, who had not heard radio reports warning motorists, said, "I didn't have a clue (what was happening) until I saw smoke. Then I thought, 'Uh oh, I know what's coming.'"

In her opinion, this delay was unnecessary. She felt fire crews should have controlled the blaze when it first started.

"The Minto fire was only two years ago," she said. "They should have learned a lesson from that."

Asked how she was coping she answered, "Tourists are probably more ticked off than we are."

Bruce Malerby of Whitehorse had been sitting in his vehicle for 45 minutes.

He was on his way to Carmacks to pick up friends and return to Whitehorse. He said he was willing to wait as long as necessary – "if I can get both ways," he added. "I came prepared to wait."

Sally Robinson, who lives in Dawson, was on her way home. She had been sitting for about an hour.

She called the delay only a minor nuisance, saying this was something that has to be accepted. In fact, Robinson was pleased to see the crews when she arrived, as she too saw the smoke and wondered how safe it would be to continue driving.

"I'm glad they're here; they're doing a great job," she said.

"We're surrounded by natural disasters," she joked, referring to the recent flooding of the Dempster Highway.

Rebecca Logan, from Anchorage, and Tracy Strong, from Minneapolis, were en route to Dawson as part of a cross-Canada tour that started in Minnesota.

While in Whitehorse, they asked for directions to Dawson and were told of the highway's delay. They ventured forward anyway.

Neither of them was annoyed, though they had been sitting for more than an hour. They spent the time sunbathing on the top of their van.

"We're on vacation: I can use the time to write postcards," said Strong.

"I think it's cool," said Logan, adding she had never been so close to a forest fire before.

At about 3:45 this group was signalled to get in their vehicles and follow the escort through the area. This news was welcomed by a loud cheer.

Once past the block, the area was thick with smoke. In some areas, visibility was reduced to only a few vehicle-lengths. The sky rained black and grey ashes.

Occasionally, drivers would see a tree or brush in flames not 10 metres from the edge of the road.

In the ditches parallel to the road that were untouched by the fire, rabbits scurries about, seeking safety.

Unfortunately, the escort vehicle suddenly made a sharp turn and began heading back to the roadblock, confusing the convoy. A pocket of smoke had settled in front of the road so thick, reduced visibility had turned into no visibility.

As the drivers passed each other once again, they waved sarcastically or rolled their eyes to one another.

"You can take back the 'cool' part," said Logan.

Al Close, a highways superintendent, was stationed along the stretch.

"Fire creates its own wind," he said. "It starts pulling air from underneath, which causes it to go in all directions."

Minutes later, Logan and the rest of the drivers were asked to follow the escort vehicle again. The second time proved lucky, as the group made it through the 20-km stretch - to the delight of the lineup of drivers waiting on the other side.

There was mass confusion about the highways' states all weekend. Though late Friday afternoon radio reports suggested the highway was closed, a highway flagman at the MacPherson subdivision assured motorists the highway ahead was actually open.

As well, a territorial government highway information phone-tape wasn't updated through the weekend. As a result, frantic callers swamped other potential information sources, such as visitor reception centers and even Alaska Highway weigh scales personnel in Whitehorse.