Burning permits cancelled as hot weather wears on
Burning permits cancelled as hot weather wears on
12May 2005
publishedby www.whitehorsestar.com
Burning permits have been suspended for the Whitehorse district because of an extreme forest fire hazard.
Paula Webber of Wildland Fire Management said this morning the decision to suspend the permits was made Tuesday afternoon.
Indicators that measure the volatility of forest fuels had pushed the hazard into the extreme range.
The Whitehorse district runs from Teslin in the south, Wolf Lake to the east, Tay Lake to the west and just past Braeburn to the north, she explained.
Webber said the no-burning order does not affect campfires nor any other district at this point.
Fire management officials are also cautioning to be careful as the hot and dry weather over the last couple of weeks has created ideal conditions for wildfires. Theres no rain in the immediate forecast for Whitehorse.
Carmacks is also in the extreme range while conditions elsewhere are: Beaver Creek, moderate; Haines Junction, moderate and Ross River, moderate.
Fire management was unable to provide the hazard ratings for Dawson, Old Crow and Watson Lake.
The 2004 fire season was the worst in modern record, consuming 1.8 million hectares and $21 million in direct firefighting costs.
Fire management duty officer Mike Sparks said Tuesday that fire conditions are as bad or even worse than they were last year at this time.
