Photo by Vince Fedoroff
PLANNED BURN – A Yukon Wildland Fire Management crew conducts a controlled burn Tuesday by the Whitehorse sewage lagoons.
Crews conduct prescribed burns before snowfall
Yukon Wildland Fire Management on Tuesday carried out the first of several prescribed burns planned for inside city limits this month.
Yukon Wildland Fire Management on Tuesday carried out the first of several prescribed burns planned for inside city limits this month.
Crews were torching off the tall, dried grasses and brush along the Long Lake Road near the sewage lagoon, in an effort to reduce the risk of wildfires through the spring and summer.
There are several locations along the road that have been identified for treatment.
Other areas include Robert Service Way, Takhini North, McLean Lake Road, near the Camp Boyle cadet camp in Mary Lake and around the old city landfill off Range Road.
Deputy fire chief Chris Green of the Whitehorse Fire Department and Keith Fickling of Wildland Fire Management appeared before city council Monday to explain the purpose of prescribed burns.
The city and Wildland Fire have for several years been exploring new approaches to managing fire fuels within the city, according to the administrative report presented.
A pilot project was carried out in 2017 along the Long Lake Road. It was repeated in 2018 and expanded to include other roadsides and areas.
This year’s proposal includes burning off a total of 59 hectares.
The prescribed burn program is in addition to the city’s annual fuel abatement and FireSmart work.
The city has $200,000 budgeted for its FireSmart program this year. The Yukon government has committed $300,000 for fuel abatement within city limits this year.
A risk analysis report delivered to council in February reported that the greatest natural hazard the city faces is wildfires. Fires are also the natural hazard with the highest risk of occurring, according to the report.
Fickling was asked about how the early spring might impact the summer fire season.
In 21 years as a firefighter, he responded, he knows it’s very difficult to predict the summer on the basis of spring conditions.
“Prescribed burns are an effective tool in mitigating wildfires, which are a real threat to our community,” Mayor Dan Curtis said in a statement.
“Wildfires are an essential part of the boreal forest, but they can also be dangerous,” added Community Services Minister John Streicker.
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Comments (3)
Up 1 Down 6
Peter Cambridge on Apr 4, 2019 at 5:55 pm
If a fire gets out of control and burns down a house or three the city should rezone the lots for ATV trails.
People live here so they can tear things up and make noise. The city keeps trying to fence these activities in. If you do not like the Whitehorse lifestyle move back to southern Ontario or the Okanogan.
Homes are built to allow us to conquer the wilderness and make noise and be destructive. Hopefully some good will come out of wildfires or other disasters.
Up 4 Down 5
My Opinion on Apr 4, 2019 at 12:47 am
Hope one doesn't get away on them. When I have burned in the spring I was shocked at how volatile it was. I quit doing it. Just a spark flying will light it somewhere else. Crazy dangerous.
Up 8 Down 1
Peter Cambridge on Apr 3, 2019 at 11:22 pm
I think they should undertake much more massive burns around town. Since embers can travel 1 to 2 km we simply are not protected from wildfires.
If a fire gets going they will throw everything they can at it and..... if it goes south everyone in its path will have to get in their vehicles and leave. This in my mind is the real situation.