Unidentified sources say the townsite of Faro has been completely wiped out by fire.

The fire is believed to have started around 5 p.m. Friday from a lightning strike.

An Anvil spokesman said Saturday that the three-acre townsite had lost approximately 40 of the 186 partially completed dwelling units.

The spokesman also said the kitchen-dining complex and five of nine bunk units in the construction camp were destroyed.

There was no organized fire department in the area, only an emergency set-up.

Reports say the 150 men in the construction camp were evacuated by 8:30 p.m. Friday.

Other sources state that presently the Faro townsite is almost a complete loss with only two dwellings left standing.

Faro is reported to be a black mess with some of the cement basements cracked from the heat.

An Anvil spokesman said Saturday that seven to eight bulldozer were working on prevention and that unlimited help was available. At that time there was no danger to the mine.

Recent unidentified information says the mine is still out of danger, that the fire is burning high on the hill and is definitely out of control.

It is said that the fire covered only 700 acres to start at present no one knows how large an area the fire has burned out.

It was also noted that 40 men were fighting the fire earlier, but no official reports are available.

The fire, burning in the Pelly river area is said to have been progressing, at one time it was moving at 1000 feet per hour towards the construction camp.

The Faro townsite, 125 air miles from Whitehorse, was under construction to house about 1500 people from western Canada by September when the Anvil mine, 12 miles from there, swings into full operation.

Presently the fire is still out of control.

The Porter Creek-Crestview forest fire which started burning just after noon Friday has finally been brought under control but not before more than 600 acres of dry timber were consumed.

The blaze broke out at approximately 1:30 p.m. Friday from what have been described by Forestry Service Officials as "Man made causes-carelessness". By 3:30 flames had engulfed 50 acres and were advancing towards Crestview at a rate of five miles an hour. Residents were ordered to evacuate their homes. Then the wind direction, built up by convection currents created by the fire, changed and the development was saved. More than 200 volunteers and conscripted men were on the scene by late afternoon assisted by most the firetrucks in the area, innumerable cats and heavy duty equipment drawn from all quarters and a helicoper which was flying reconaissance on the blaze.

An all night effort brought the fire under control Saturday morning then it leaped a break and broken out again. By afternoon firefighters had the situation well in hand. In the meantime a B25 Mitchell waters bomber had arrived from Edmonton and was dropping 500 gallons loads of liquid on the flames.

The helicoper, a good portion of the equipment, the Mitchell bomber and 30 men are still on the scene. "Just because there’s no smoke", said Forestry Director John Gass, "doesn’t mean the area is out of danger. The fire is still burning in the moss and smoldering in charred logs and tree stumps. With a good wind the whole thing could go again anytime. The whole 600 arcs started from one very small blaze we’ll be working for at least a month in the area."

At present wind velocity in Whitehorse is 15 miles per hour with gusts up to 25.