Photo: Wildfire Yukon

Thick smoke hangs in the sky just north of Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory in Canada from a wildfire.

A wildfire fire has turned the sky into thick, billowing smoke just north of Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory in Canada. Firefighters are always on alert in the summer months for this sort of activity in the Yukon region of Canada.Throughout the Yukon Territory there are approximately 100 wildfires every year with about 200 hectares of forest being damaged. A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire that can kill an amazing amount of forest growth, houses, agricultural land and wildlife. Depending on the dryness of the land a wildfire can easily start from lightning but a majority of them are caused by human carelessness.These fires can take weeks and sometimes months for firefighters to get them under control especially if the winds are strong and there is no rainfall. The aftermath of a wildfire can be even more damaging than the fire itself as it can destroy plants and trees that prevent deterioration. ... continue below the picture...

... Landslides can be a major factor if there is a great amount of rainfall after a wildfire.If camping or hiking through the mountains in the Yukon or any other area, always be extremely cautious when having a campfire or cooking. The simplest spark during a drought could be the beginning of a devastating wildfire that could have been prevented.Wild forestfire north of Whitehorse