Wildland fire officials have announced that Aishihik Road, east of Haines Junction, will be closed until Monday. The reason for such a course of action is the wildfire that has ravaged the area. A 24-hectare wildfire burning in the area is named HJ-002, and the firemen are currently trying to contain it.
The department has released a statement, saying that the fire began burning on the west side of the road Saturday at the 45-kilometer mark. It’s not crossed the road yet, as the fire crews are trying to combat it.
“Crews are at work to hold the fire on its north and south flanks, and at its east flank along Aishihik Road,” the statement read. “There has been no damage reported to nearby buildings or infrastructure.”
Because of the stronger winds that are expected in the area, the fire department brought in a helicopter and an air tanker. On Monday, three more crews are expected to arrive on the scene.
So far, there have been 54 wildfires in the territory, which have burned through 55,862 hectares of land.