NARRATIVE REPORT - 1958 FIRE #26

The first report on this fire was received at 8:00 P.M., June 4, 1958, by the Forest Engineer who contacted the Labour Foreman to round up a crew. The location demanded the use of a boat for access , so within an hour a crew of eight men, boat and outboard motor, fire pumps and equipment were on their way to the fire. The fire was found to be about 30 acres in size but although it was now nearly midnight it was still running in grass and crowning in large clumps of spruce. As it was nearly dark Ii was decided to camp for the night and start suppression at daybreak. The fire did not stop running during the night and by morning was fifty acres in size. High winds were blowing and control during that day was impossible. The crew size was increased but it rapidly became evident that no crew which could be raised in Yukon Territory would succeed in controlling the fire. The fire was burning in rugged terrain where the use of heavy equipment would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible, and the route by which the fire could then be reached was very roundabout owing to the long chain of lakes and swampy ground lying across the direct approach.

It was, therefore, decided to limit efforts to preventing spread westward toward the Atlin Road. This work was continued with fair success until June 23, when Fire #47 broke out close to Whitehorse and threatened the town. Half the crew at Fire #26 was withdrawn, with their equipment, to assist in controlling this fire. By this time Fire #41 was out of control about fifteen miles from Whitehorse and Fire #8 at Braeburn was also out of control and very large. The crew from Fire #26 was, therefore, not returned and on June 30, the remainder of the crew was withdrawn, the fire by then having grown so large that a crew of this size(10 men) could not hope to accomplish anything very useful.

From that time until July 27^th, the situation in the Whitehorse area was so serious as to command all the attention and resources which could be devoted to it. However, by July 27th., the situation in this area had eased and Fire #26 had spread eastward to Teslin Lake and the Alaska Highway and was threatening Johnson's Crossing Lodge and Squanga Lake Lodge. A crew of men under Forest Fire Control Officer Ferguson from Fort Smith, worked at control of this sector and later worked on the Atlin Road side where the fire had burned out to the Atlin Road and crossed it. This work was continued until August 23rd, by which time the danger of further spread of the fire in 1958 was judged to have ended.

G.M. Wilson

Forest Engineer