This is a Yukon story. In desperation, stranded travellers torched their vehicle to survive. When it's -50C, strange things are indeed done ...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yukon-vehicle-fire-rescue-cold-1.5434069


And here are the recommendations of a bush-wise elder on travelling in such conditions:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yukon-road-trip-cold-tips-1.5431375

I like the second article a lot, but there’s no mention of communications. I’d likely have good radios in each vehicle as well.

That's true. Up there, satellite phones are probably the only realistic option. I'm not sure about VHF or HAM coverage.

I liked the second story as well. The old-timers know what they need when a vehicle conks out, so instead of an impending tragedy it's mostly a nuisance.

Bolded part is most important, have dry wood that is easy to light and then get more fresh wood from forrest. Chainsaw is not a must, a handsaw works too and keeps the user warm while sawing.

When I travelled that route this summer, I am pretty sure there was no cell service in between Carmacks and Pelly Crossing; just service when you got close to the two towns. This is along the route from Whitehorse to Dawson City so there would be some traffic but at -50° most would have chosen not to drive on that day.

Yep, cutting wood by hand warms you twice; once when you work to saw it, and again when you burn it.

Maybe, but you need a lot of wood and you need it in a hurry. That kind of volume means taking larger trees. These folks don't mess around; they know better. Plenty of exercise splitting it.

And remember Les Stroud's advice for extreme cold: "You sweat, you die."

Or a Siberian log fire and avoid splitting. Unless short on tinder and kindling to get the thing going.

Perhaps you missed that the old lady had wood in her car to make a fire with. You don´t need a whole lot for a fire to burn an hour or two. So there is plenty of time to get more from the woods. And no splitting is needed when you allready have a proper fire going.

I have always been able to collect enough wood for a cheery blaze bare handed, even in snow. Long ago, I started carrying alternate fuels in wintry conditions. i suspect they would have done better to pile snow up around the vehicle, making an igloo of sorts.

I understand that then theinterior temp would stabilize at close to 32F.

Saws and hatchets, axes, etc. can be useful, indeed the best, for some tasks, but hardly a necessity for survival.