Heavy smoke from burning brush piles along the route of the Hamilton Boulevard extension prompted several complaints to the Whitehorse Fire Department this morning.

Acting fire chief Warren Zakus said he subsequently visited the area and instructed Big Foot Construction to forego ignition of any more piles of brush today.

The company does have a five-day burning permit, and today is the start of the city's burning season, Zakus pointed out.

He said the fire department does have the authority to impose restrictions on permit holders if burning causes problems.

He said not all the brush piles were lit, but those that were some of which are very large stretched from one end of the 3.5-kilometre extension south from the Copper Ridge and Granger subdivisions to the Alaska Highway, across from the top of Robert Service Way.

The burning situation will be monitored today.

Zakus expects he'll be in further discussions with Bigfoot to come up with a plan to burn the remaining piles in the upcoming days to minimize the amount of wood smoke in the area.

With the south wind, the wood from the burning piles is wafting into the Copper Ridge and Granger subdivisions.

Sidhu Trucking Ltd. was recently awarded a $9-million contract to complete the sub-grade and base construction work. The total project cost is estimated at $15 million.

Bigfoot Construction was awarded the brushing and clearing work in July for a price of $334,200.

Rock blasting is scheduled to occur this fall, and it's expected the extension will be ready for pavement next year.