Firefighters from Outside are on their way to the Yukon as the territory heads into another spell of hot conditions.

Fire information officer George Maratos said 30 firefighters from B.C. will be arriving today and 20 from Alberta will be here tomorrow.

Six new fires started by lightning were recorded in the last 24 hours, says today’s daily fire report issued by Yukon Wildland Fire Management.

Warm temperatures have also led to more activity on several existing fires, including the 105-hectare fire burning 23 kilometres north of Stewart Crossing.

Two airtanker groups attacked the blaze Sunday along with several firefighting crews and two helicopters. Twenty firefighters and two helicopters remain on the fire today.

“Getting additional resources to support our staff is essential right now given the current situation and the predicted increased in activity,” fire management duty officer Catherine Spence said in a statement today.

“The initial attack firefighters will be used on our current priority fires as well as any new starts that require action.”

More lightning and scattered showers are expected across the territory today.

“It is supposed to get up to 30 tomorrow in Dawson, mid- to high 20s in central and northern parts of the territory and low to mid-20s in the south,” Maratos said.

Of the 91 active fires it the territory, the vast majority are burning in the wilderness zone but 11 are being fought by firefighters, Maratos said.

The largest one is still the Airplane Lake fire burning in the wilderness zone 76 kilometres northwest of Watson Lake which was started by lightning in late May, and is currently estimated at 8,300 hectares.

Fire management staff today are assessing a new 51-hectare fire 13.5 kilometres west of the Fort Selkirk historic site and a new eight-hectare fire burning a few kilometres from the Maisy May historic site in the Dawson district.

Plans to provide structural protection at the two sites if need be are being developed today, Maratos said.

The six new starts detected Monday were in the Dawson, Carmacks, Old Crow and Ross River districts.

“Firefighters actioned a spot-sized fire in the Carmacks district 12 kilometres north of the community between Free Gold Road and the Yukon River,” says the daily report. “It was quickly contained and will be further assessed today.”

The fire danger rating in Dawson went to extreme today from moderate Monday.

Today’s rating was high in Beaver Creek and Mayo, moderate in Whitehorse, Old Crow and Carmacks and low in Watson Lake, Teslin, Ross River and Haines Junction.

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