Wildfire burning near Dempster Highway's only hotel

Stan McNevin, who runs the only hotel on the remote Dempster Highway, has seen wildfire threaten his business in years past — but never quite as seriously as this year.

"This is number one, there's no doubt," he said on Tuesday, from the Eagle Plains Hotel in northern Yukon. The lodge is still open, even though the highway itself has been periodically closing because of smoke.

"It's right on top of us. It has been for days. The only thing that's been saving us is the back burn," McNevin said, referring to efforts made by wildland firefighters to control the fire's spread.

"If it crosses the road, then we're going to be in really dire straits. But so far it's been contained," McNevin said.

As of Wednesday, the Eagle River fire was an estimated 465 hectares and was deemed out of control. It was receiving a modified response, meaning firefighters are focused more on protecting property and structures than putting the fire out. 

Yukon's wildfire season has ramped up significantly in recent days, with lightning sparking dozens of new fires across the territory, particularly in the central and northern regions.

As of Wednesday, there were 101 fires burning in Yukon, with nine receiving a full firefighting response, and 57 more receiving modified or monitored responses. 

Three evacuation alerts remain in place, for the Dublin Gulch area, the region south of the Top of the World Highway, and for kilometres 10 to 35 of the Silver Trail.

At Eagle Plains, McNevin says he's not sure what his plan is if things get even more serious with the nearby fire. He says traffic is still moving up and down the highway in between closures, so that's keeping him busy at the lodge. 

"We're just trying as best we can to try to keep a lid on things, keep people in the know so that they don't get too worried and get confused," he said.

"Our staff isn't used to this kind of thing. So we just, you know, let them know that it's being managed and we're doing what we can."