Fire crews are working to defend the Eagle Plains Hotel on the Dempster Highway as the Eagle River fire creeps closer.

It’s now burning about three kilometres from the remote hotel, which is an essential lifeline in the isolated region for northern residents, truckers and tourists.

According to an update from Yukon Protective Services last night, they have had a crew on the blaze for four days.

They’ve been working to build fire breaks by burning off vegetation east of the highway and soaking the area surrounding the hotel and outbuildings 
with water.

This fire was last estimated at 465 hectares, but according to the Tuesday evening update, it has grown larger since.

As well as an initial attack crew, firefighters from the Northwest Territories are providing airtanker support. This has so far been effective in slowing the fire’s movement toward the hotel.

This is a different fire than the one that closed the Dempster last weekend.

In a Facebook post, Yukon Protective Services encouraged anyone travelling the Dempster to check Yukon 511 for traffic impacts.