"History-Maker" Fire In Central Yukon; 250km2 Burned In Mid-September, Caused By Lightning

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Smoke visible from the Crooked Creek wildfire near Stewart Crossing, Yukon, on Sept. 10. (John Fulton/CBC)

Don Hutton, a retired wildland firefighter, says he’s never seen anything like the “history-maker” fire that raged near Mayo and Stewart Crossing in central Yukon, northwestern Canada last month — and he’s afraid it may flare up again next spring.

“I’m anticipating, because it burned so deep, that they’re likely going to have problems with reignition on parts of it next spring, depending on what kind of fire season we have,” said Hutton, who is also the area’s MLA. “If we have another dry one, it’s quite likely to get up and go again.”

The Crooked Creek fire was estimated at one point to be about 250 square kilometres in size. Residents and cabin owners in the Ethel Lake area were on evacuation alert for days, as the fire grew. Hutton, who lives in Mayo and owns a cabin at Ethel Lake, says there were still hot spots and visible smoke when he was in the area last week. He says it’s not yet safe to drive down the Ethel Lake Road, and he’s pushing to have some engineers go inspect the road.

EDIT

The late-season fire was highly unusual. Hutton says most September wildfires in Yukon are caused by humans, but this one was sparked by lightning. It also didn’t behave in expected ways. “I think this one’s a history-maker,” he said. “I’ve never known a lightning-caused fire to get up in September and cause this kind of reaction. I mean, this thing turned into a monster.” Hutton describes how the blaze generated a thundercloud over Ethel Lake, with lightning that then sparked other fires nearby. “Over my career, I’ve never seen it happen in the territory,” he said.

EDIT

https://www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-arctic/2019/10/03/wildfire-yukon-crooked-creek-don-hutton/