Wildfires are breaking out in droves across the Yukon as lightning pummels the territory and a stubborn heat wave wears on.

Mike Fancie of Yukon Wildland Fire Management said Tuesday afternoon about 20 fires a day have been sparked, beginning on the Canada weekend.

They have brought the total this year to 155 wildfires (about 130 active as of today) that have burned 45,000 hectares.

Fancie described the proportion of fires caused by lightning as “stupendously high” at 97 per cent, compared with about 70 per cent in a typical year with the remainder being caused by humans.

On Monday alone, there were more than 3,000 lightning incidents, 484 of which were positive strikes that carry with them increased fire danger, he said.

“The sheer volume of lightning activity and new fires over the past few days have totally obliterated that statistic,” he said.

“Yukon is facing unprecedented levels of lightning-caused wildfire activity right now.”

As of this morning, the territory had experienced 21,670 strikes in recent days.

The fires come as Environment Canada issued a heat warning for much of the territory, while both fires and flooding have prompted evacuation alerts in several areas. Multiple highway closures are also impacting transportation and access to communities.

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.

Of particular concern is the Crystal Lake fire in central Yukon, which has grown to 2,500 hectares and prompted an evacuation alert last Sunday for Stewart Crossing, about 15 kilometres away.

The fire also forced the closure of part of the Klondike Highway, an important transportation link among Whitehorse, Dawson and Mayo.

Depending on smoke conditions, traffic is being taken through by pilot car, and only when it’s safe. A spotter in a helicopter has been looking for breaks in smoke plumes to alert pilot vehicle operators.

Motorists could face waits as long as several hours to get through the affected area.

Flames have crossed the highway and charred some power poles near Stewart Crossing. This afternoon, Yukon Energy and Northwestel Corp. crews are en route with a crane to replace the poles and conduct repairs.

Meanwhile, a 1,500-hectare fire near Frances Lake has kept the Robert Campbell Highway between Ross River and Watson Lake closed.

The territorial government has issued a lengthy statement about the cenral Yukon evacuation alerts.

“While residents are not being asked to evacuate your property at this time, an evacuation alert is intended to provide you time to be ready to leave safely should an evacuation order be issued,” the government said.

“After receiving this evacuation alert, residents should consider:

Connecting with all family members to determine a plan and designate a safe meeting place;

Moving grab-and-go bags for you and your family to a readily accessible location;

Gathering essential items such as medication, eyeglasses, valuable papers and immediate care needs for dependents;

Arranging transport for your household members in anticipation of a potential evacuation order, and be sure to fill your gas tank should you need to evacuate suddenly;

Arranging accommodation for your family, as commercial accommodations may be limited. In the event of an evacuation order, emergency accommodation will be provided if required;

Monitoring local news sources and Yukon.ca/emergencies for updated information on the status of the fire and impact on the area.”

Yukoners and visitors are encouraged to avoid visiting properties in the affected area and to proactively relocate, prior to the fire affecting the area directly, the government said.

Community members impacted by wildfire evacuation alerts are encouraged to register with Emergency Support Services (ESS) by phoning 867-332-7367.

Registration with ESS allows you to receive urgent assistance when needed.

Meanwhile, flood warnings have been in effect since last week for areas around Teslin Lake and the Yukon River near Carmacks.

Many of the challenges are caused by a so-called Rex block weather system, which occurs when a high-pressure system sits above a low-pressure system and brings isolated thunderstorms, Fancie said.

“Why these are bad for us is that they’re very stable weather patterns,” he said.

“So when the high-pressure ridge sits over us like this, it invariably means that we can expect this weather condition for an extended period of time, and that’s what’s happening,” he said.

Forecasters are predicting falling temperatures Friday and Saturday, but it’s too early to count on that, he said.

The Yukon has already called in extra support through mutual aid agreements from British Columbia. The number of air tanker crews from that province was expected to rise to 10 today.

There were 104 active fires Tuesday, compared with 36 on the same date last year.

The total area burned by Tuesday morning was 42,979 hectares compared with 27,492 in 2021, Fancie said.

Environment Canada also issued a heat warning Tuesday for much of the territory, urging residents to drink lots of water and seek out cool places.

Temperatures were expected to reach 28 C with nighttime lows of 13 C.

The warning applies to Whitehorse, Old Crow, Dawson and other areas throughout the central, southern and western regions of the territory.

It comes after daily temperature records were set Monday in Haines Junction, Carmacks and Teslin, with heat hovering around 30 C (see story, p. 5).

Meanwhile, a plume of smoke near Grey Mountain in Whitehorse on Monday evening caught many people’s attention.

“Thank you to the Yukoners who called in the smoke northeast of Grey Mountain,” Wildand Fire Management stated on social media at around 9 p.m. Monday.

“The fire is 1.5 hectares in our strategic response zone. An air tanker team and helicopter have been deployed to respond and resources will return tomorrow morning.”

An update provided early Tuesday afternoon stated, “(Monday) night, airtankers successfully boxed the fire in with retardant at three hectares in size. Resources will be back at the fire (Tuesday). The fire may continue to be visible while suppression takes place.

“The fire has since doubled in size, but department officials say it doesn’t pose any immediate risk to the city.

“It’s about 20 kilometres away currently, despite the clearly visible smoke.”

– With a file from Amy Smart of The Canadian Press