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Wood Buffalo National Park reported 12 confirmed fires in the park as of Tuesday, with six being identified in the past 24 hours.
The biggest, the out-of-control 85,000-hectare Paskwa wildfire, crossed into the park earlier this month. Other fires along the Peace River and near the Pine Lake area are being monitored or managed.
The closest active, out-of-control fire to Fort Smith – fire 23WB007, using the park’s naming system – is some 40 km southwest of the community and has burned 60 hectares to date. “Wood Buffalo National Park fire personnel are monitoring this fire,” Parks Canada stated. “Structure protection will be put in place around values in the area if needed.”
Meanwhile, across the Alberta border, Fort Chipewyan residents are being flown to Fort McMurray as a wildfire grows less than 10 km north of the community.
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An evacuation of the community is taking place on Wednesday. Fort Chipewyan, which has no year-round road access, must rely on an aerial evacuation – including multiple Hercules aircraft – to get residents to safety.
Parks Canada said the smaller community of Garden River, west of Fort Chip along the Peace River, was being protected from the Paskwa wildfire to the best of firefighters’ abilities. Garden River’s residents were on evacuation alert as of Tuesday.
In the Northwest Territories, rain at the start of the week helped dampen some large Dehcho wildfires.
However, the territory’s wildfire agency said a fire south of Sambaa K’e continues to grow. “Crews are working on critical infrastructure protection both in the community and on values between the community and the fire,” a Tuesday update read.
There remains no update on when Kátł’odeeche First Nation residents can return to their homes. Fire crews are working to “fully suppress” the fire outside the community.
