NWT firefighters are working hard on “significant challenges” posed by wildfires outside Wrigley and Fort Smith.
A fire around 20 km southeast of Wrigley does not yet threaten the community but “that may change quickly” in this week’s “very challenging” hot and dry conditions, the territorial government said on Tuesday.
The fire, FS030, is some 1,600 hectares in size. Crews have been using bulldozers to build a fire break designed to limit the fire’s growth.
“Community leadership are being briefed regularly,” the Department of Environment and Natural Resources stated. “We are regularly assessing this fire and advising emergency managers at the local, regional, and territorial level as they make decisions about how to respond.”
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In the South Slave, the department reported “big growth” of fire SS069 around 40 km northeast of Fort Smith.
“Several cabins under threat have been protected with sprinkler kits. Crews and aircraft continue to fight the fire,” ENR stated.
While Fort Smith residents can expect heavy smoke, the department said the town is not threatened.
“Conditions in the area of the fire are expected to remain extremely challenging throughout the week, with record or near-record temperatures and strong winds causing extremely dangerous conditions for both fire growth and crews on-the-ground,” ENR wrote on its website.
