Structure protection being set up in areas around Dawson City, Yukon, as fires grow

Structure protection equipment is being set up in case it's needed to protect homes from wildfires flanking Dawson City, a Yukon wildfire information officer says. 

Three evacuation alerts are in place in the territory Sunday morning, two of which are for the Dawson area.

One is for areas around the Dempster Highway cutoff and Henderson Corner, including properties along the North Klondike Highway between kilometres 693 and 673, which are being threatened by the Mount Leotta fire. The other is for West Dawson and all properties along the Top of the World Highway between kilometres 1 and 36 as well, which are being threatened by the Quebec Creek fire. 

Near Mayo, an alert is also in place for the Silver Trail Highway, including the area east of the Silver Trail between kilometres 8 and 24. It comes in response to the North Ferry Hill fire.

Residents under an evacuation alert are advised to make a plan with family members, gather essential items and have a "grab-and-go" bag ready, make plans for pets or livestock, and arrange transport in case of an evacuation.

Haley Ritchie, a wildfire information officer for the territory, told CBC News Sunday morning that structure protection equipment was set up for properties closest to the Mount Leotta fire, and the same was being done for West Dawson.

"We want to make sure we have that equipment there ready to go when it's needed," she said. 

The Quebec Creek fire was last estimated to span 15 square kilometres, while the Mount Leotta fire was nine square kilometres. Ritchie said both fires have since grown, but updated numbers were needed. 

As of Sunday morning, 63 fires are burning in the Yukon. Ritchie said most of the 17 new fires that started in the territory Saturday were caused by lightning strikes.

Anna Radzimirska, who lives around Henderson Corner, said her family just got back to Dawson from a trip so her suitcases are still packed and ready to go if an evacuation order is issued. 

"It's not the first time we've been in this situation," she said. "It is a little bit scary but we've been lucky so far and I'm hoping that continues."

Her worry isn't whether she has to leave but rather, where she and her family would go. 

Another Henderson resident, Julie Dugrenier, said if she has to leave her house she does have a place she can stay in the nearby subdivision of Rock Creek – but it is only temporary. She said if the fires spread and she was forced to evacuate that location she would have nowhere to go.

"It's a little stressful for locals," she said. "The campground is just about full with tourists and they'll have no place to go. If we do have an evacuation it's going to be nuts."