The fire situation in the Yukon is starting to settle down after a week of frantic activity.

Mike Fancie, an information officer for Yukon Wildland Fire Management, said the situation was edging closer to being stable this morning.

“The situation is relatively the same,” he told the Star.

Twenty new fires, likely all lightning-caused, were reported in the last 24 hours, Fancie said.

Only about three per cent of the identified blazes recently have been caused by human activity.

“It’s statistically insignificant,” Fancie said.

Normally, people cause about 70 per cent of the fires in any given season, but those numbers have been turned on their head.

It’s unusual to have quite so much lightning activity, Fancie said. The current situation isn’t record-breaking, but is certainly more than usual.

“It’s a lot of lightning.”

That lightning has been accompanied by reasonable amounts of rain, he added, but the precipitation has been very localized.

It’s been a hit-and-miss situation as to much the rain is dampening the blazes.

One-third of those 20 new fires were in the Old Crow district, Fancie said, most in wilderness areas.

New fires were reported in Mayo, Teslin and the Nisutlin River area.

The North Klondike Highway is still closed due to the raging Crystal Lake fire, and another in Upper Willow Creek.

A fire in the Fort Selkirk area could potentially impact the Minto Mine, but that’s not certain, Fancie said.

Maja Nafzger is the manager of the landmark Moose Creek Lodge, which is west of where the North Klondike Highway intersects with the Silver Trail.

She told the Star this morning that fires in the area are still menacing the business, but she thought it could weather the storm.

One fire is burning about 3.5 kilometres away, she said. A sprinkler system has been set up on the lodge’s property to help ward off any sparks.

While she doesn’t think the lodge will have to be evacuated, Nafzger said the wildfire has left the business “dead.

“We have four customers,” she said. “Ordinarily, we might have more than 100 people stopping by every day.”

What’s being called an “extraordinary” number of lightning strikes has led to an almost-unprecedented number of wildfires around the territory.

“Since last Wednesday, June 29th, 21,671 lightning strikes have caused 136 new wildland fires – some of which have triggered tactical campground and highway closures and community evacuation alerts,” Wildland Fire Management said.

“This high level of lightning activity has been caused by a stable high-pressure weather pattern called a Rex block that has led to both hot weather and roving, isolated thunderstorms.

“While the forecast says conditions could shift later this week, Yukon’s firefighters are working on major fires in every fire management district.”

Andy Sekhon, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, agreed Thursday that the Yukon has been seeing more lightning than usual.

On Tuesday, the territory witnessed 10,360 lightning flashes, the most in a day so far this season.

The same day, Whitehorse saw 285 lightning flashes. On June 30, the city had 346 flashes.

Sekhon said a stubborn high pressure system over the territory is to blame, along with a low pressure system in Alaska colliding with it.

So far, no records have been set, he said, but the numbers are definitely “getting up there.”

Richard Mostyn, the minister of Community Services, posted a lengthy statement on Facebook Thursday.

“As of today, there are more than 144 fires burning across the territory, and we continue to see new fires everyday,” Mostyn wrote.

“Our dedicated teams at Protective Services, in partnership with Yukon First Nations and other government agencies, are working around the clock to fight fires, protect structures and do all they can to keep communities and Yukoners safe. Here is a quick update as to what measures are being taken as of now:

“A level 2 fire ban is in effect across the territory.

“Evacuation alerts have been issued for Stewart Crossing, Teslin (for flooding), North Canol Road and the Silver Trail and surrounding areas. 

“Four tactical evacuations have happened in the Frances Lake campground area, the Ethel Lake campground area, a group of cabins near Keno and in the Rancheria area. A proactive evacuation of the Tuchitua Highway Camp was also conducted.

“Highway closures or detours remain on the Robert Campbell, the North Klondike Highway, the Nahanni Range Road and the Alaska Highway due to flooding. Check 511yukon.ca for updates,” the minister wrote.

He said today there are 165 known fires burning, putting this season at or near the top of the territory’s worst-ever.

A number of crews from British Columbia arrived Thursday to lend support to the wildfire situation, he noted, and a 100-person fire camp was expected to arrive.

Initial attack crews are deploying across the territory today and another 50-person fire camp will arrive over the weekend from British Columbia.

“Clean air shelters have been deployed to Old Crow, Beaver Creek and Mayo, and additional shelters are being made available to communities as needed,” Mostyn wrote.

“Accommodations are being arranged in Dawson and at the Canada Games Centre in Whitehorse for Yukoners who may have to evacuate their homes.

“A lodging site for inbound firefighters and other potential out-of-territory personnel has been established at Porter Creek Secondary School,” he added. 

“Incoming resources have arrived and continue to roll in over the next few days. In addition, two 60-100 person camps will be established in the affected areas.”

The Fire Marshall’s Office Special Heavy Operations Team has been deployed to assist with structure protection as needed in Stewart Crossing.

“Six Skimmers with the ability to drop water on fires arrived in Watson Lake (Wednesday) night and immediately went to work on priority fires,” the minister indicated.

“In addition, a second heavy helicopter is onsite.”