There were two wildfires burning within 30 kilometers of Atlin this weekend, one of which remains ‘out-of-control’.
Glacier Creek Wildfire June 21st, 2025 // Courtesy: Matthew Lien, Yukon Singer-Songwriter
The Glacier Creek fire, designated ‘R90700’ by the BC Wildfire Service, was first reported around 7:00pm on Friday, June 20th. It’s located around three kilometers east of Atlin Road, roughly 30kms north of Atlin, and was just over 15 square kilometers in size as of 11:00AM Monday, June 23rd.
A second wildfire, 17 kilometers away from Atlin and designated R90709, had been discovered north of McDonald Lake around 3:30pm on Saturday, June 21st, southeast of the Glacier Creek fire. At 10:30PM on Saturday it was around 1000 square meters in size, and was considered to be under control. Both fires are suspected to have been caused by lightning strikes.
Locations of wildfires burning north of Atlin, BC, June 21st 2025 // Courtesy: BC Wildfire Service
The BC Wildfire Service confirmed the larger Glacier Creek fire was not considered to be an immediate threat to Atlin Road, with minimal fire growth towards the highway reported Saturday and Sunday. Winds in the area have been pushing the fire north-northeast, while firefighting crews have been attacking the west flank, working northward from the southwest corner. The Atlin Volunteer Fire Department was first to respond to the fire on Friday and had been assisting with structure protection initiatives throughout the weekend. One helicopter had been dispatched shortly after the fire had been discovery on Friday, quickly beginning bucketing operations which it continued throughout the day Saturday. Two additional helicopters had arrived by Saturday evening.
Three 3-person Parattack crews, also known as smokejumpers, had parachuted onto the fire site early Saturday morning. They were supported by at least two air tankers which had been deployed to drop fire retardant on the west flank, between the highway and fire. The first tankers to arrive at the fire had been deployed from Whitehorse, Yukon by Yukon Wildland Fire Management, and were relieved by tankers from the BC Wildfire Service that arrived later in the day. Three more smokejumper crews arrived on-site on Monday, along with a skimmer group.
The Wildfire Service confirmed an air tanker working the Glacier Creek fire had diverted to the second fire and blanketed it with fire retardant upon its discovery. One of the three Parattack crews had been redeployed from Glacier Creek to this fire and was reported to have been “making good progress” as of 8:00PM Saturday. The smaller fire was declared under control by the Wildfire Service at 10:28PM Saturday.
The Taku River Tlingit First Nation had asked all residents to avoid using back roads near the fires so as to keep them clear for emergency personnel. The Nation also confirmed that their Emergency Management Team was in contact with both the BC Wildfire Service and Yukon Wildland Fire Management. They confirmed that they are receiving regular briefings on the fire and will continue to provide updates online, as well as via email and text to those registered on its ‘Important Community Notice List’.
The Province of British Columbia had issued an Evacuation Alert to residents along Atlin Highway shortly after 2:00PM on Sunday, June 22nd. It’s effective from the shoreline of Atlin Lake at the intersection of Atlin Lake and Glacier Creek to 1800m east of the Highway, and south to a point ‘due east of the most southerly point of Cliff Lake’.
Atlin Highway Evacuation Alert Area // Courtesy: Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
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