Since Friday, more than 50 new wildfires have been detected in the N.W.T. and a community placed on an evacuation order Sunday night. Wildland firefighters mobilized aggressive responses to wildfires in the Dehcho within 7 km of the Fort Simpson airport and another within 12 km of Wrigley. Another lightning-caused fire was detected about 19 km from Hay River, within the 2023 burn area. Wildland firefighters are also actioning a fire last measured within 19 km of Hay River.
“With very little remaining fuel surrounding the fire and favourable winds, the fire is currently a low risk to the community,” read a public message by Hay River town officials on Sunday afternoon.
Extended hot and dry conditions are forecasted along with the risk of isolated lightning across the territory.
SAHTU
The Canol Complex (VQ001/VQ002) located about 33 km south-southwest of Norman Wells on the West side of the Mackenzie River remains about 32,596 hectares in size, according to the latest report.
An Incident Management Team has been deployed from Atla. to support coordination on the fire along with more resources anticipated this week, said Wildland officials.
On Sunday crews also responded to a naturally caused fire (VQ015) located about 60 km from Norman Wells and about 4 km north of Bracket Lake (Willow Lake) with aircraft support.
Another fire located about 9 km southwest of Fort Good Hope and last measured at 1 hectare in size.
Wildland crews were mobilized to prevent its spread, and structure protection will be going up as needed, said Wildland officials.
VQ022, a new fire located about 20 km south of Mahoney Lake, was measured at 1.5 hectares in size and classified as out of control. Firefighters are actioning the fire by air.
“Aircraft have been deployed and will be dropping buckets to suppress its growth,” said Wildland crews.
Another new fire, VQ017 was detected about 11 km west of Fort Good Hope. It is about 42 hectares and is classified as out of control.
A new wildfire, VQ018 about 9.5 km west of Fort Good Hope covers 134 hectares and is classified as out of control.
Wildland officials said limited action is being taken on these two fires at this time.
VQ019, a new fire located 6 km southeast of Chick Lake, estimated at 631 hectares and classified as out of control.
VQ020, located 58 km south of Fort Good Hope, was measured at 73 hectares in size and classified as out of control.
Another new fire, VQ021 located 55 km northwest of Norman Wells, covers 50 hectares and is classified as out of control.
Crews are monitoring these three new fires.
DEHCHO
Fort Simpson and Liidlii Kue First Nation were placed on an evacuation order Sunday night after an evacuation alert was issued Friday when a wildfire was spotted near the community airport.
Another fire (FS015) expanded within 12 km of Wrigley on Saturday. Crews are also responding to 11 other wildfires, including four new fires detected since Saturday in the region.
A new fire, FS018, located about 43 km southeast of Wrigley and 20 east of Hwy 1, kilometre marker 650 is being monitored by Wildland crews. It was measured at about 100 hectares in size and classified as out of control.
Another new fire, FS019, was detected 13 km southeast of Nahanni Butte, and 7.5 km west of Hwy 7, kilometre marker 138 and is about 25 hectares in size. It is classified as out of control. The fire is being actioned by air and by crews on land.
FS020, was located approximately 3 km north of Tsetso Lake. The newly detected fire is estimated to be about 100 hectares. It is classified as out of control.
“Aircraft and crews are working to limit the fire’s growth, and structure protection will be deployed as needed for cabins and lodges in the area,” said Wildland crews.
Another new fire, FS021 located 4 km east of Hwy 1 at kilometre marker 618 was measured at about 30 hectares in size. Fire crew say this fire is to be “closely monitored.”
SOUTH SLAVE
Wildland crews are tracking 11 wildfires in the region, with six new starts were detected in the region since Saturday including one in the Hay
SS019, a newly detected fire was located about 20 km west of the town of Hay River. It was last estimated to be 200 hectares in size.
“Crews and aircraft are hitting it hard to minimize the fire’s growth,” said Wildland crews.
The wildfire is within an area that burned in 2023.
Officials also reported that SS009, a naturally caused fire, located 3 km north of the N.W.T./Atla. border along Hwy 1, has grown from 50 to 200 hectares in size.
“[The fire] is currently being actioned by crews, aircraft and heavy equiptment to slow its growth,” said Wildand crews.
SS013 a newly spotted lightning-caused fire, 8 km south of Hwy 1 (road KM marker 244), was measured at hectare in size.
“[The fire] is being actioned by aircraft and crews are looking for hot spots before calling it under control,” said Wildland crews.
Another wildfire, SS015, 18 km east of Hwy 5 at kilometre marker 78, was located and measured at about 4 hectares in size and was actioned by crews and aircraft.
Another new fire, SS017, located about 58 km east of Fort Resolution, received rain on Sunday and was last measured at 0.5 hectares in size.
Two new fires were spotted about 3 km east of Wood Buffalo’s border. SS018 and SS020 measured at less than 1 hectare in size.
Aircraft and crews were deployed to assess and action the fires.
SS021, was detected deep in the Caribou Range, 11 km south of Beena Thy Lake and is being monitored.
Another new fire, SS022, located about 7 km east of Tazin River in the Caribou Range area was measured at 1 hectare.
NORTH SLAVE
There were two new fires detected in the area including one 10 km north of Lake Gradin, about 4-hectares in size and ZF022 39 km west of Etna Lake, estimated at 31 hectares.
BEAUFORT DELTA
There were no new fires detected in the region but there are eight fires being tracked by Wildland crews including a cluster of six fires due to a thunderstorm earlier this week and EV008 east of the Arctic Red River in the southern area of the Beaufort Delta.
The fire was last estimated at 340 hectares in size.
For the latest information and updates on wildfires head to NWTFire.com
