As fires continue to burn across the Yukon, some residents in affected areas are preparing to leave as soon as possible if ordered to, but not all.
Norma Mees, 76, lives with her husband by the River Stewart, about eight miles outside Mayo.
She said there was so much smoke that “we can’t even see across the river now.”
Mayo is one of several communities for which the territorial government has issued evacuation warnings as 161 fires, as of Friday, are burning across the Yukon. Other communities include Elsa, Keno, Moose Lodge Creek, the Victoria Gold Mine, as well as Stewart Crossing and surrounding areas.
If an evacuation order is issued, the government said residents should be ready to leave within two hours of being notified.
But Mees said if that happens, she and her husband won’t leave their home.
“We told the [government officials] that we’re not going anywhere because we have nowhere to go,” she said. “They don’t tell you where to go or they have no idea where to go.”
The North Klondike Highway from Stewart Crossing to Pelly Crossing, which is south of Mayo, has been closed due to an “unpredictable, dangerous fire” since Friday evening, according to the Yukon government.
“The only other way is to Dawson City,” Mees said. “And there’s nothing there. Where do you have to go?”
“The situation is a bit strange”
Meanwhile, Carol Kroening, who with her husband owns and operates Stepping Stone, a Yukon Quest hospitality stop near Fort Selkirk where the Yukon and Pelly rivers meet, said they’re ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
“We all have a grab-and-go bag waiting on the front deck and we can be in the boats in five minutes,” she said.
Fires are burning about 15 minutes from Stepping Stone, a Yukon Quest hospitality stop near Fort Selkirk. (Submitted by Carol Kroening)
Kroening added that the fire started on Monday and was moving slowly towards them.
“The situation is a bit strange,” she said.
“If we were going for an afternoon trek, it would take us about 15 minutes to get there [to the fire].”
Fires burn across the Pelee River from Stepping Stone, a Yukon Quest hospitality stop near Fort Selkirk, Yukon. (Submitted by Carol Kroening)
She said wildland fire officials on Tuesday gave her advice on how to smartly burn her property, as well as other buildings in the community.
She has set up as many sprinklers as she can.
She said there was a wildfire in 2006 that stopped about a kilometer from the community, but this one was scarier because “we can see it so well.”
“It’s just a scary situation”
Just outside Stewart Crossing, Elizabeth Blair is also ready to leave at a moment’s notice if needed.
“We’ve got a van there that’s packed with some stuff in case we have to leave all of a sudden,” she said.
“It’s just a scary situation because you can’t predict anything with fire. If we have a strong wind, it might just head this way.”
She said she has a water pump and a well set up with a long hose, but on Thursday she wanted to set up a sprinkler system as well.
The Frances Lake Fire is burning along the Robert Campbell Highway, which is closed between Watson Lake and the Ross River. (Government of Yukon)
She called but said no one seemed to be able to help, so she posted a message on Facebook asking for help.
“And after an hour, [wildland fire] a bunch of BC were here and had to make do with what they had left. So it was enough for us to have a few sprinklers,” she said.
Blair is very grateful for the help.
She said she expects the current Yukon fire situation to be the new normal and hopes that territorial and First Nations government officials are better organized in the future than they appear to be this year.
“We’re hoping that there will be a whole set of, you know, just instructions where a person can call somebody … who knows what to do to evacuate or whatever,” she said.
“They are worried”
Mayo-Tatchun MLA Jeremy Harper, who grew up in Pelly Crossing, has been in the community this past week helping to get information out to his constituents.
He said he gets a lot of calls from them.
“They are worried,” he said.
“The fire is close to their residences and we want to make sure they have adequate sprinklers or a crew to come in to help cut down the fire around their house to make sure their property or their cabin to catch or their hunting cabin burned down. protected,” he said.
He added that the community has “adequate” supplies now that the 100-strong crew from British Columbia helping to fight wildfires in the territory set up camp at Pelly Crossing Airport.
He said the BC team will be sent to various locations to place sprinkler systems or edging around some properties.
Harper said he is in contact with First Nations elders and leadership to make sure they have all the information they need from emergency officials.
“Our leadership is giving very good information to the citizens so that they are always updated,” he said.
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