It's cheaper to let a cabin burn than it is to try to suppress a forest fire, states the 2004 Wildland Fire Review's final report.

Approximately five trappers' cabins were destroyed during last summer's massive forest fire season, Dan Boyd, director of protective services in the territorial Department of Community Services, said today.

He added there is the possibility that more cabins or trappers' lines were destroyed by the fires, and the department is simply unaware of it.

The destruction of remote property during fires is one of several dominant concerns in the 97-page report released Thursday.

'The average value of the cabin and the contents is far below the suppression costs for fighting fires in the Wilderness Zone. Taking action on these fires is not only expensive and impractical, but more importantly can compromise firefighting on higher priority operations,' the report states.

In what was a record year for forest fires last year, 1.7 million hectares burned, with direct firefighting costs hitting $21 million.

When there are so many fires occurring in the territory, it's hard for Wildland Fire Management to protect all the cabins, said Boyd.

'We do the best we can, where we can,' he said.

There were situations last summer where, due to other priorities, Wildland Fire Management was unable to respond to fires threatening cabins or it was too risky to respond, Boyd added.

He added that when an individual chooses to build a small cabin in isolated wilderness, he or she needs to acknowledge the risks involved and be prepared to take some precautions.

When trees have grown up almost right around a cabin, it's extremely difficult to protect it even if fire management is on the scene, said Boyd.

The report recommends the Yukon government consider implementing a trapper compensation program for mainline cabins that are registered and later destroyed by wildland fires. However, it adds if such a program was to be instated, it should be rigorous in its criteria and include FireSmart principles.

Boyd said at this point the recommendation in the report is merely a suggestion, and it's before the government for its consideration.

'There are questions being asked and there is pressure in the area,' he said. However, it's up to the government to decide what should be done, Boyd added.

The issue is further compromised by the question of the actual value of the cabins. Boyd stated that most of the cabins consumed weren't much more than 'shacks', but the report touches on the possible intrinsic value of the sites.

When dealing with trappers' cabins, traplines, seasonal first nation villages and hunting and fishing lodges, the report's public consultations found many Yukoners felt the government did not have an adequate understanding of the property's value in relation to equipment, economic, historic and cultural significance.

'The panel also heard that there were inequities in what site-specific values were protected and which ones were not,' said the review.

The example given of houses of higher economic value in the Frances Lake area being protected, while cabins passed down through generations and integral to trapline activities were left to burn.'

While Boyd acknowledged that there are wilderness sites with significance in the territory, he added that trying to put value on people's property beyond its economic worth proves to be difficult.

It's a hard question, he said, and it's one that the report attempted to grapple with and present some recommendations.

Another concern brought forth in the report was communication as the fires neared cabins.

The report states that individuals who lost their cabins believed that if they'd been informed of the threat to their property, they could have at least had the opportunity to save some of the equipment.

'Every review of a large organized response to an event says there is still more we can do in regards to communication,' said Boyd.

The communication between those working on the operational response to the fires was quite adequate, but more effort does need to be put into developing policies for communications with stakeholders, the media and other government branches, he said.

Overall, the report recommends a more aggressive tact when fighting forest fires.

Additional training and attacking some spring fires before they develop into year-long nuisances are some suggestions the department has already begun implementing.

The report also provides suggestions regarding adjusting the zoning system, a communication protocol that is inclusive of first nation and community values, an expanded heli-attack crew and fire management plans for woodland caribou and other wildlife populations.

'Yukoners can rest assured that we will consider all of these recommendations for the benefit of maintaining community safety,' Community Service Minister Glenn Hart said Thursday.

Hart was unavailable for comment today.

The review was completed by a five-person panel that visited Yukon communities and met with approximately 320 individuals from December 2004 until March 2005.