UPDATE: June 27 – The Hunker Summit fire in the Yukon has grown to 850 hectares, and is showing extreme fire behaviour because of “unfavourable forest fuels and hot and dry weather.”
A wildfire near Dawson City, Yukon grew to 400 hectares on Wednesday, the same day it was discovered.
Lightning sparked the blaze, which is known as the Hunker Summit wildfire, and it’s only expected to grow further, the territory’s Protective Services tweeted.
The territory said two helicopters and two airtanker groups worked the fire late into the night, and that heavy equipment and initial-attack crews will keep tackling the blaze.
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The fire was discovered at about 2:30 p.m., and it’s “responding minimally to suppression efforts,” the territory said.
It is not considered “contained.”
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The B.C. Wildfire Service announced earlier this month that it would send crews to tackle an “increasing wildfire threat” in the territory.
Hunker Summit isn’t the only blaze raging in the territory, either.
A wildfire north of Jackfish Lake has burned to a size of 700 hectares, though it’s not considered a threat to communities, lives or infrastructure.
READ MORE: 144 more B.C. crew members deployed to Alberta, Yukon to tackle wildfire threats
Meanwhile, the Toobally Lakes fire has burned to a size of over 14,000 hectares, and it’s not considered under control.
Like Hunker Summit, that fire is not responding very strongly to suppression efforts.
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