Yukon officials are concerned about possible spring flooding in Old Crow and Klondike Valley

Yukon government officials say the upcoming wildfire season is too far away to predict, but potential flooding in Old Crow and the Klondike Valley is a major concern this spring.

In a news conference on seasonal flooding and wildfires Wednesday, the government's acting chief hydrologist Anthony Bier said the risk of flooding was high in both Old Crow and the Klondike Valley due to a mix of high snowpack and dynamic river freezing.

“Our main concern here is that there will be sudden, sustained warming,” Bier said.

“If we flip the switch from the normal, coldest temperatures at night to freezing and we go to freezing, and we stay above freezing at night for several days, we drive a whole lot of snowmelt that creates a mechanical or… And then we are more likely to experience an ice jam.”

Biers said the ideal scenario involves a slow, steady melt, and the timing and progression of that melt is more crucial to whether or not flooding occurs than the snowpack.

Greg Blackjack, director of the Yukon Emergency Management Agency, said there are plans to fly both equipment and personnel to Old Crow to deal with possible flooding.

Fire Information Officer Haley Ritchie said spring temperatures and precipitation forecasts look average, but she wouldn't make any predictions about what that would mean for the upcoming wildfire season.

“Most wildfire forecasts are only made three to 10 days in advance,” Ritchie said.

“That’s why it’s difficult to provide much information about what our Yukon wildfire season might look like right now.”

Ritchie said the Yukon Forest Fire Protection Division has hired 28 fire crews this year, four more than last year, with the average crew consisting of three people.

“Additional crews will be stationed in Whitehorse, Dawson, Watson Lake and Haines Junction,” she said.

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Blackjack said the Yukon government is also “eyeing Yellowknife” to learn from the NWT's experience during last year's disastrous wildfire season.

He said meetings with other jurisdictions to consolidate mass evacuation plans were prompted by those findings.

“We are already having these discussions because our neighbors in the NWT have had these discussions while they were living it. We are preparing as best we can.”