WhiteCAP_Plan_01SEPT..

NCE WhiteCAP Environmental History
2.0 Methods
Evidence of environmental stress in Whitehorse was principally gathered from the
archives of the two local newspapers; the Whitehorse Star, and the Yukon News. About
50 articles from 1930 to 2009 were examined to determine the extent, influence, and
repercussions of historic extreme natural events. Additional information was gathered
from relevant Yukon Government and City of Whitehorse departments.
The environmental stresses experienced in Whitehorse are classed into three categories
commonly influenced by climate conditions: forest fires, flooding, and weather
fluctuations. This last category was further subdivided into ice, weather variability, and
snow. Historic environmental stresses are therefore presented in six categories. For
each category, the causes, impacts and community responses are reported for each
environmental stress. Whenever possible, resulting monetary costs have been adjusted
to 2009 Canadian dollar values.
3.0 Whitehorse Environmental Stresses 1930-2009
3.1 Forest Fire
Forest fires are uncontrolled fires occurring in the bush and countryside. They are the
most important and common environmental stress experienced by Whitehorse residents.
The behaviour and impact of a forest fire depends on a combination of factors such as
available fuels, physical setting, and weather.
There are many examples of forest fire incidents during the 1930-2009 period. The most
prominent fire occurred in June 1958 and burned a significant portion of the Ibex Valley.
Strong winds pushed the blaze towards Whitehorse, forcing an evacuation; in part,
caused by insufficient community response capacity. Some residents never returned to
the area. The 400 square mile (~103,000 ha) burn was only stopped by precipitation
from a timely storm. The potentially catastrophic effects of the fire continue to linger in
the memory of the community. Smaller forest fires tend to cause more localized
evacuations and damage. For example, in June 1969, Porter Creek and Crestview
subdivisions were almost destroyed by a fire. In May 1970, Riverdale was threatened by
a fire that burned 650 acres and forced residents to evacuate. Another fire threatened
residents living east of Lake Laberge in 1978, burning 1359 acres. The Haeckel Hill
blaze in 1991 also occurred within City limits. Another fire in 1991 affected 1500ha,
forcing the evacuation of the Echo Valley subdivision.
3.1.1 Causes of Forest Fires
Fires are typically started by one of two sources, those occurring naturally and those
stemming from human activity. Most fires in Whitehorse are caused by human
negligence (Yukon Wildland Fire Management 2010). Careless campers and hunters,
vandalism, and industrial activities are all cited as the main causes of forest fires. In the
winter, fires can be caused by electrical shorts in the wiring of houses or by chimney
fires. Wood heat is also a potential source of fire, especially during cold weather when
large fires are not well supervised (Yukon Wildland Fire Management). In January 1956,
sixteen phone calls were made to the fire department due to strained boilers and
chimneys catching fire, causing structural damage to several homes.
D.2