Highway 1 and Highway 5 closed by wildfires

Highway 1 between Kakisa and Enterprise is closed because of a wildfire, the GNWT said on Sunday afternoon, while Highway 5 outside Fort Smith has also closed.

Travellers on NWT Highway 1 had been warned earlier on Sunday to “be prepared for delays” because of a wildfire between Kakisa and Enterprise.

Latest closure info: Check the GNWT highway conditions map

The highway runs from the Alberta border to Wrigley in the Dehcho. The closure announced at 2pm on Sunday runs from km 95 to km 140, from the western periphery of Enterprise roughly halfway toward Kakisa.

Fire SS052 was 12 km south of Highway 1 as of Saturday evening.

It triggered an evacuation alert in Kakisa earlier in the week, though the fire remains 16 km from the community.

Westerly winds on Sunday were expected to blow SS052 away from Kakisa but toward the highway.

“Please be prepared for delays and reduced visibility due to smoke and high winds from km 100-155,” the NWT’s Department of Infrastructure had stated earlier on Sunday morning.

Forecast high winds on Sunday and Monday are causing concern regarding a number of fires across the territory.

Winds were the main reason Fort Smith was evacuated on Saturday, since firefighters fear strong winds will blow the fire west of the town across the highway, leaving it closed for an extended period.

Highway 5 duly closed at 1pm on Sunday because of the oncoming fire. There was no immediate word regarding when it might reopen.