Yukon fire officials call in help with Haines Junction blaze

Yukon fire officials are calling in outside help to fight a 494-hectare fire burning near Haines Junction.

Wildland Fire Management says crews from Yukon First Nations Wildfire and provincial agencies are expected to arrive in Haines Junction later this week.

Mike Fancie, a spokesperson for Yukon Wildland Fire Management, said 60 firefighters are coming from provincial agencies. They are likely coming from Ontario, but that could change by the end of the week, depending on the fire situation in the south.

Yukon First Nations Wildfire will send one crew of 20 firefighters.

"They're going to be able to water up off of Pine Lake and dump it [on the fire]," Fancie said.

Two CL-415 air tankers are also expected to arrive and provide air support.

The fire is burning at Bear Creek, approximately nine kilometres northwest of Haines Junction. It grew from a reported 137 hectares Monday to 494 hectares on Tuesday.

"We are confident in the weather forecast's prediction of winds from the south over the next few days," said incident commander Caleb Tomlinson in a news release. "Despite the fire's spread away from Haines Junction, we have called in extra help in order to ensure that we can contain the fire as quickly as possible."

Wildland Fire Management predicts winds blowing from Alsek Valley to the south will keep pushing the fire away from Haines Junction.

Kluane fire ban in place

Meanwhile, Parks Canada has ordered a general fire ban for Kluane National Park and Reserve.

Effective immediately, all open fires are prohibited anywhere within the park and reserve. This ban includes fires in day-use area fire pits, or any other wood stove or fire pit found within the park, including at Kathleen Lake.

Park officials say the ban is "due to extreme fire hazard in the area."

They ask park visitors to be extra careful with camp stoves, and cigarettes.