Highway 3, threatened by fire, closes again on Tuesday afternoon

The highway between Yellowknife and Behchokǫ̀ has again closed because of a nearby wildfire.

Highway 3 is closed for the entire 90-kilometre stretch between the two communities, the NWT’s Department of Infrastructure said in a tweet shortly after 1:30pm on Tuesday.

The highway was also subject to closures over the weekend but remained open throughout Monday, with hundreds of Behchokǫ̀ residents streaming east along the road after their community fell under an evacuation order.

Wildfire ZF015, which has burned some 60,000 hectares, was said on Monday to be two kilometres from the highway and 25 km from Behchokǫ̀.

There was no immediate word on a potential reopening time for the highway.

On Tuesday evening the Big River gas station in Fort Providence said online its staff had been told by officials that no traffic would be allowed past Behchokǫ̀ until at least 8am on Wednesday, though there was no immediate independent confirmation of that from the territorial government.