Wildfires in the North Slave region showed increased activity today, including a fire south of Whati, which continued to present challenges to responders, especially as dry conditions persist.
“Much of the NWT, especially the Dehcho, Beaufort Delta and Sahtu regions, will see hot, dry and windy conditions that are likely to continue into the weekend,” said NWT Fire.
One new start was spotted and officials reported that it is human-caused.
Officials urged residents to be mindful of campfires and bans in place across the territories.
Crews caution not to leave campfires unattended, especially in current fire weather conditions, which could quickly become a wildfire.
Firefighters are advising to keep a close eye on fires. They ask the public to follow the golden rule of “Soak, Stir, Soak,” – “If you can’t hold your hand over it, it’s not out,” said NWT Fire.
DEHCHO
Crews continue to action fires in the Fort Liard complex. The wildfire (FS014-25) was last assessed to be located about 12.5 km northwest of Jean Marie River and about 22 km southeast of Fort Simpson.
“With an Incident Management Team in place to manage this fire, crews and air support are making great progress. They have managed to contain 100 per cent of the southeast section and are now working on the south end of the fire to secure the perimeter. Jean Marie River and Fort Simpson are not considered at risk,” said NWT Fire.
Monday, crews working on the ground and in the air reported that about 80 per cent of the southeast section of the fire, closest to the community, was contained.
Tthets’éhk’edélî (Jean Marie River First Nation) remains on an Evacuation Notice.
Jean Marie River First Nation officials advised community members to check the community Facebook Page for updates.
Updates are also available on GNWT’s Alert pages webpage and the GNWT Fire Map.
Officials also advised community members to keep informed and prepared in case conditions change.
Fire FS009, east of Fort Liard showed decreased activity.
“The area around Fort Liard had heavy downpours this week, which helped lower the fire risk. Structure protection will continue as a precaution. There remains no threat to communities or infrastructure due to these wildfires at this time,” said officials.
Another wildfire (FS039-25), located about 21 km east of Hwy 7 and 32 km northeast of Fort Liard remains less than 1 hectare in size.
“Crews are continuing to cold-trail the area to ensure it does not spread past the established perimeter,” said NWT Fire.
NORTH SLAVE REGION
There was a new fire spotted in the North Slave region, located on the north side of Marian Lake, about 35 km northwest of Behchoko (ZF049-25).
“This human-caused fire was about 1 hectare in size and was quickly contained and called under control, thanks to the prompt efforts of crews and aircraft,” said NWT Fire.
A lightning-caused fire (ZF048-25) was spotted earlier this week, and is now located about 25 km southwest of Whati.
“This fire continues to challenge fire crews and aircraft. Earlier this week, the fire exhibited behaviour that challenged control, including air tankers, and made it unsafe for crews to action the fire on the ground. Crews were pulled from the fire as it grew to the west. Given the fire behaviour and size, crews decided to move away from directly actioning it. The ongoing drought conditions continue to present challenging conditions. The fire has spread primarily to the west and remains approximately 25 km from the community. While the fire will be visible, it presents no short-term threat to Whati or any other known values at risk. Planning is underway to determine how the fire will be managed going forward,” said NWT Fire.
The wildfire located about 3 km west of Hwy 3 (ZF015-25) showed some increased activity today.
“This fire continues to burn, with reports or flames jumping Birch Creek. Smoke and visibility challenges are likely for travellers. ECC is working with the Department of Infrastructure to ensure the highway remains safe. Structure protection on cabins in the area is being deployed as needed,” said NWT Fire.
Officials advise travellers to check conditions on roadways using DriveNWT.ca
A wildfire near Campbell Lake and east of Hearne Lake and Watta Lake Lodge (F024-25) is being monitored by firefighters.
“Crews are assessing this fire and will meet with the lodge owners today to update them on the fire behaviour. Crews are monitoring it, and there are currently no short-term concerns of it reaching Blachford Lake Lodge or Hearne Lake Lodge,” said NWT Fire.
SOUTH SLAVE
The fire (SS014-25) located about 24 km northwest of Fort Providence continues to be monitored for fire activity.
On Tuesday, crews reported the fire had grown slightly.
“This fire may be visible from Highway 3 at times. The community of Fort Providence is not at threat – there are swamps and other barriers to fire spread to the south,” said NWT Fire today.
