A small bush fire that started alongside the Alaska Highway Wednesday afternoon could have easily spread without quick action from a male driver and fire crews, according to a Whitehorse Fire Department platoon chief.

Morley MacKay said this morning that the fire across from the Kopper King was human-caused and has been deemed suspicious.

At about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, a man driving along the highway saw smoke.

Pulling over, he found a small tree on fire and was able to put the flames out with a shovel in the back of his truck.

When city and Yukon Wildland Fire Management crews arrived on scene, they dumped water on the blaze, which by that point was smouldering on the ground.

“If the wind would’ve picked up, it could have spread,” MacKay said. “The ground is very dry right now.”

The fire department will call Wildland Fire Management when there’s a bush blaze within Whitehorse city limits, he noted.

MacKay said he didn’t know how the fire was started, nor whether an accelerant was used.

There was some old garbage around the site, but there was no indication anyone had been camping there.

About five hours later, an unpermitted bonfire was reported along Fish Lake Road.

At 7:40 p.m., the fire department dispatched its bush truck and extinguished the blaze, which was about one square metre in size.

One person was on scene when crews arrived, MacKay said.

Campfires are only permitted within the city in approved fire pits.

According to today’s fire report, the danger rating in both Whitehorse and Carmacks is high. In Watson Lake, the fire risk is extreme. In the other communities, the rating is moderate to low.

Burning permits are suspended whenever the fire risk is moderate, high or extreme.

There have been 99 wildfires so far this season.