Forest fires have consumed almost 38,000 hectares of land in the Yukon this year. (Yukon Wildland Fire Management)More than two dozen extra firefighters and an air-tanker group from British Columbia are being positioned around the Yukon in anticipation of a hot, tinder-dry weekend.
There are three fires currently burning in the territory, while 37,780 hectares of forest have been destroyed by 51 forest fires so far this season, officials said. By comparison, 18,000 hectares of forest were destroyed in total in 2008 in 67 fires.
Chief territorial fire information officer George Maratos said the fire danger rating in most parts of the Yukon is into the extreme range.
"It's preparation. We are expecting the dry conditions to continue up to 30 degrees Thursday and through the weekend."
He said there's also the strong possibility of more lightning, which has caused 33 fires so far this season.
"That is sort of a recipe for increased activity so rather than make the call when the fires are started, now we have the resources in place."
Maratos said human carelessness is being blamed for 18 of the 51 fires this summer.
Smoke from some of the larger fires continues to blanket much of the southern and central Yukon.
Maratos said much of the smoke is coming from a fire near the Teslin River, northeast of Whitehorse, and a larger fire in a wilderness zone near Carmacks.
