‘Extraordinary’ lightning strikes volume ignites a fiery summer
What’s being called an “extraordinary” number of lightning strikes is leading to an almost-unprecedented number of wildfires around the territory.
What’s being called an “extraordinary” number of lightning strikes is leading to an almost-unprecedented number of wildfires around the territory. According to spokespeople at Yukon Wildland Fire Management, “Wildland Fire crews are responding to numerous priority wildfires across central and southern Yukon as lightning continues to start exceptional numbers of new fires.
“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.”
The continuing heatwave is being blamed for the storm activity.
“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.”
To help handle the blazes, Wildland Fire says, “Extra firefighting resources from British Columbia, organized through the Canadian Inter-agency Forest Fire Centre, are working alongside the Yukon’s firefighters.
“Six three-person initial-attack crews, a 20-person unit crew and an airtanker group have reinforced the Yukon’s 25 initial-attack crews and two airtanker groups. More resources are arriving this week.”
Andy Sekhon, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, agreed Thursday that the Yukon is 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.”
The Robert Campbell Highway continues to be closed between Ross River and Watson Lake due to a fire in the Frances Lake region.
Fire is also jeopardizing the use of the North Klondike Highway in the Stewart Crossing region.
Passage with escorts from pilot vehicles continues, but motorists may face lengthy waits depending on smoke and safety conditions.
The Yukon Emergency Measures Organization issued a new evacuation alert for the Silver Trail and surrounding areas on Tuesday afternoon.
Those areas include the Moose Creek Lodge, Mayo, Elsa, Keno City and the Victoria Gold Mine.
An alert means people should gather their most important items and be ready to flee on two hours’ notice if the fire becomes a direct threat and the alert graduates to an official order to leave.
The Ethel Lake campground was evacuated last Saturday.
Comments (7)
Up 2 Down 2
Nathan Living on Jul 11, 2022 at 5:25 pm
MITCH
Yes, wildfires are natural and somewhat predictable.
We should have mature forests near communities regarly burned to lower the risk. It's going to happen in years with high temperatures anyways. Let's move fighting fires to controlling the risk by burning areas with high fuel biomass that is mature and ready to burn. Let's use tax dollars effectively.
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Matthew on Jul 9, 2022 at 4:45 pm
@Sheldon, thanks, I've seen the website from environment Canada... as you can imagine, it looks like it's from the 90s. Again, why no radar installed? These would help with blizzards in winter, and locate more accurately poor weather conditions giving people more time to decide what to do. And its useful YEAR ROUND, makes too much sense though, so it won't happen.
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What is going on here? on Jul 9, 2022 at 12:32 pm
WTF is “natural knowledge” Mitch?
Up 6 Down 2
Mitch on Jul 8, 2022 at 1:37 pm
Hey SHELDON, Thank you for the information, much appreciated. I figured some controlled burn was part of the operations, good to hear someone give some imput on it. I appreciate that you understood I am just curious and not critical. Have a great weekend sir.
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Sheldon on Jul 7, 2022 at 8:19 pm
For Matthew. There is a vast lightening detection network across the territory so yes, we do have the capability to tally strikes fairly accurately.
For Mitch, strategies are implemented to just let some areas burned, mainly those that are away from structures and property. Controlled burning is another practice that the wildland fire service employs. They recognize fires are an important part of the ecosystem, and this is considered in every circumstance.
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Matthew on Jul 7, 2022 at 4:45 pm
“Since last Wednesday, June 29th, 21,671 lightning strikes" seriously, how can they know for sure, I mean we don't even have weather radar. I guess this is what happens when they use geoengineering for 2 weeks straight (chemtrails).
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MITCH on Jul 7, 2022 at 2:54 pm
I often consider this hypothesis: We put out forest fires, but they are natural. As a consequence, are we impacting the hydrological cycle and weather patterns of the world, causing even more forest fires by trying to mitigate yet another natural system that does not need our help? Honest question, anybody have any thoughts on this? Particularly first nations folks with the natural knowledge. We can't see what the trend for fires was in centuries past, but the indigenous peoples of this continent must have an idea if their fire-starting efforts were having an impact for better or worse and my understanding that, given strategic burning, it was mostly for the better. I am not questioning fire-smarting, those fine folks are willing to risk their lives on their assessments, a true hallmark of professionalism. I am asking what we should perhaps all be asking - should we try to put out so many fires or by letting them burn or merely controlling and managing them, would we reduce the damage of future ones?