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While the widespread telecommunications outages that hit Yukon on Saturday, May 11, have largely been resolved, emergency crews are still dealing with road closures and fires that have ruptured communication lines.
Fires broke out, causing the closure of the Alaska Turnpike, just north of Fort Nelson, as well as Highway 77, the road link between British Columbia and British Columbia. to the Northwest Territories. At a May 12 press conference, the representative of the territorial government’s emergency measures organization, Julia Duchesne, said there was no estimated reopening time available.
Highway 37, the Stewart-Cassiar Highway that passes through northern British Columbia. The interior remains open. Duchesne said some shipping delays are expected as corporations divert shipments down the open road, but goods can still be moved to the Yukon.
The fires ruptured the two fiber-optic lines that provide connectivity between Yukon and the rest of the country. One line runs parallel to the Alaska Turnpike and the other from the Northwest Territories. Duchesne noted that some connectivity can be maintained if a line breaks. However, the loss of any of them leaves the Yukon completely isolated.
At the May 12 briefing, he described the quick reaction of Whitehorse crews from Northwestel who went to the site of the cut to repair the cable, having to shut down when situations changed and the fire became too dangerous.
The fire that closed the Alaska Turnpike The Parker Lake Fire, which burned a 2,483-acre domain at a time west of Fort Nelson, British Columbia. An evacuation order has been issued due to the fire affecting the city of Fort Nelson and surrounding domains.
Duchesne called the fire “active and extreme. ” He said there is no deadline to prevent it from posing a risk to the road and telecommunications lines.
The B. C. Wildfire Service reports a complete response to the Parker Lake Fire with 70 firefighters, 16 helicopters and 17 heavy aircraft in action.
A Northwestel representative said the FS004-24 fire, which burned about 70 km southeast of the Jean Marie River network, affected its infrastructure in the Northwest Territories. According to an update from the Northwest Territories, the fire threatens many stocks throughout the Northwest Territories. 1. La road has been open lately but may be closed in the short term.
The telecommunications outage resulting from the fires began with the shutdown of cell phone and internet in Yukon beginning Friday afternoon, May 10.
On the afternoon of May 11, internal internet service was restored at Whitehorse’s domain and cellular service that night.
Constant long-distance calls were also operational on May 11, although only local constant calls can be made.
The 9-1-1 service didn’t work, prompting ERS to place ambulances in conspicuous locations around Whitehorse, accentuate patrols, and advise citizens to use the RCMP’s emergency landline number or go to the detachment if they had any problems.
Duchesne didn’t rule out long-term connectivity disruptions and urged citizens in an emergency scenario to call 9-1-1 first and then take additional action if they can’t get through. He noted that citizens in Whitehorse outdoor communities can use outdoor phones from network gyms to get emergency assistance and those in Whitehorse can move on to the RCMP detachment or one of the fireplace rooms.
While disruptions to telecommunications and transportation would have arguably dashed hopes for a quiet start to the wildfire season in the north, Duchesne notes that the threat of wildfires in the Yukon remains low to moderate. He also stressed the importance of combining a 72-hour alert kit with the essentials for Yukon residents and their families to cope with an emergency such as a wildfire evacuation or other telecommunications outage.
Contact Jim Elliot at jim. elliot@yukon-news. com