Forestry Men, Army, RCAF, Civilians Battle Fire

With black smoke hanging over the Yukon valley like a dark conscience, forestry men continued to battle the flames that are tearing the heart from tinder dry woods.

Over 750 square miles of the territory had been burned off at the beginning of this week. The dry danger area is approximately 190 miles wide with Stewart Crossing as central axis of an area extending south to the B.C. border.

Army, RCAF and civilian help is being given near Whitehorse.

A total of 67 fires have been reported this year with 21 still burning, 14 being fought and seven more in remote areas where no fire fighting is possible.

Heaviest concentration of personnel and equipment is in the Whitehorse area where almost 100 men are battling the Laberge and Stoney Creek blazes.

Weary forestry men, some virtually sleepless have fought Yukon fires heroically. Their selfless battle was hampered at the beginning by lack of sufficient trained personnel and the need for more equipment.

It is assumed, when the smoke finally clears away, a review will be carried out to determine what assistance this part of the North needs in future to battle near-disaster situations as now prevail in Yukon forests. One suggestion has been basing in the North a float plane equipped with water scoops and tanks that could carry out a shuttle aerial water bombing of beginning fires.

Holding Laberge

With a total of 48,000 acres burned from Mile 7 to Mile 20 on the Mayo highway, the Laberge fire, which started June 19, is burning more or less under control.

Fire guards are holding and, unless sudden strong winds spring up, it is felt this fire is no longer threatening Whitehorse.

In charge of men and equipment at this site is Pete Ferguson, fire warden from Fort Smith, NWT, formerly stationed here.

Still regarded as dangerous is the blaze along the Alaska Highway from Mile 968 to Mile 933, referred to as the Stoney Creek fire.

Under forestry engineer George Wilson, personnel from the Army, air force, territorial government, reserve army and civilian fire fighters are concentrated mainly on control of this fire.

Cooperation has been excellent, says Commissioner F.H.Collins.

Plan of fighting is to contain the fire at the south end against the flames by using heavy equipment and spraying where possible.

Further back a fireguard is being built at Mile 926 stretching four miles from Haeckel Hill to the confluence of the Yukon and Takhini rivers on the Mayo road. A smaller guard is being built ahead of this as well.

Co-ordinating activities is Commissioner Collins, who declared a state of emergency Monday night after it became apparent the situation was grave enough to require assistance from armed forces personnel.

With central headquarters at Yukon Forestry Division's Whitehorse office.

13 heavy cats, five tankers and 25 pumps are working to widen the fire break. Providing liaison with the fire scene.

Yoho park warden J.M. McNab and Banff warden J.A. Syme are each working 12-hour shifts in the Whitehorse office while Mr. Wilson spends most of his time at the fire or along the highway directing operations.

Radio Communication is being maintained by two 19th Alberta Dragoons armoured scout cars. Used for front line reconnaissance during wartime, these scout cars are playing a major role in assisting fire fighting north of Whitehorse.

Appropriately, they were called into action here Monday night when forestry engineer George Wilson considered the fire situation in the territory had reached near disaster proportions.

Worst Night

At that time, fires from Mendenhall Creek and Stoney Creek joined to sweep towards Whitehorse.

Spurred on by a forty-mile-an-hour wind the two fires covered an area of about 32,000 acres.

Both began as small fires, the Mendenhall blaze being reported two weeks ago and the Stoney Creek fire reported July 3 at Mile 956 maintenance camp, where it apparently started about 100 feet from the campsite.

Outside Wardens

Assisting the local fire fighters are eight of the nine park wardens called in from outside by Commissioner Collins. Jasper warden T.L. Ross is now helping direct firefighting at Ross River.

In the Whitehorse district are H.E. Harrison in from Prince Albert, Pete Ferguson from Fort Smith, J.M. McNab from Yoho, L.A. McGuire from Jasper and Messrs. J.A. Syme, J. Wooledge, G.C. Lister and J.R. Robertson, all park wardens from Banff.

Elsewhere in the territory crews are maintaining surveillance at the Braeburn fire where 150,000 acres have been burned. Still considered out of control, the fire actually started last year and broke out again in May after smoldering all winter in muskeg.

Now under control are fire in the Teslin and Watson Lake areas, where a total of 35,000 acres was burned over.

No fires are reported in the White River area, Haines Junction is clear and the Squanga Lake fire is reported out this week.

Still burning is the Snafu Lake fire off the Atlin road, with about 114,000 acres destroyed by the blaze.

Two small fires were reported near Dawson earlier this week but recent rainfall has helped to keep the situation less serious there than in southern Yukon.

Less hopeful is the report from the area south of Mayo where a fairly large fire is burning at Hungry Mountain.

Outlook for most Yukon Forest fires depends almost entirely on the wind, according to forestry personnel.

They have little hope for any area, including the local scene if strong winds happen to blow in the wrong direction.

July 24, 1958

Rain saves city as fires advance

Rain saved Whitehorse last week. If it hadn't come, forestry officials say there would have been little hope for the town with a 30-mile front of fire advancing. In some places 20 miles away, the fire came up within five miles of the White Pass tank farm and was seen plainly from city streets Friday evening.

With continuing showers, forestry personnel took advantage of cooler weather and lessened fire hazard to push ahead with fire breaks.

Today 65 men with nine cats are widening guards around the 400 square mile fire area to prevent flames jumping in case of high winds.

Area burned by the combination of the Stoney Creek, Mendenhall and Laberge fires extends from Mile 968 south to Mile 930 and from the Ibex River Valley to Mile 25 on the Mayo Highway.

Elsewhere in the territory the Snafu Lake fire is still out of control and is burning to within a mile of the Alaska Highway at Squanga Lake and Johnson's Crossing.

Forestry engineer George Wilson said today he will put crews there to try to confine the blaze. At present fire crews are keeping surveillance, he said.

Still out of control are the Hungry Mountain fire and the Braeburn fire, now at Mile 30 on the Mayo road. At Mile 710 fire guards are being completed. In the Dawson area fires are quiet, according to Yukon Forestry Division here.

Not able to relax yet are about 60 CNT linemen who have been working along the highway repairing lines.

With 100 poles burned off south of Whitehorse and another 60 or more north of here, the men have kept 24 hour shifts to maintain communications.

With added traffic because of the earthquake breaking Alaska's ocean cable, CNT lines were out only twice last week for short periods.

Telephone calls and telegrams increased to a deluge last weekend after a television broadcast outside told a dramatic story of the local fire.

Emergency Session

Nobody outside was more worried than local inhabitants who were told by Mayor Gordon Cameron to prepare for emergency evacuation.

It was decided at a meeting of city councilors and prominent transportation and communication personnel that in event of the fire getting too close, local residents would be sent to Carcross either in their own cars or by special White Pass trains.

Arrangements were made for extra police in this emergency.

Among casualties in firefighting to date have been Banff warden J.A. Syme whose back was hurt when a tree fell on him in the Takhini fire. Mr. Syme was sent to Edmonton for treatment this week.

Also injured was Yoho warden J.M. McNab who wrenched a knee but is remaining on the job here. Included in equipment lost is a D-8 cat belonging to John A. MacIsaac. This machine fell into the Yukon River when men cross.

Not assessed are Indian homes and traplines burned out. According to local Indian affairs representatives there are at least 12 native families affected and many more will turn up later after fishing season is over.

Smoke is hampering bush plane schedules too, which seriously affects exploration companies. According to one mining man a whole season may be lost this year through delays on account of fires.