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The senior administrator of Enterprise says around 80 percent of structures in the hamlet have been levelled by a wildfire.
Blair Porter told Cabin Radio by phone from High Level on Wednesday that he was able to assess the community the previous day. He said approximately 16 buildings in the hamlet are left.
“Most of the hamlet buildings are OK,” he said. “Unfortunately for the majority of our residents, it’s not good.”
Porter said most Enterprise residents have evacuated to Peace River. He said it’s not yet safe to return to the community due to spot fires and damage to infrastructure, but the hamlet is working on a plan.
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“We will get through this. We are a strong, resilient community,” he said.
The fast-moving wildfire, which the Town of Hay River said travelled around 39 kilometres in a single day, triggered an evacuation alert for several communities in the southern part of the territory on Sunday.
Thousands of residents from Hay River, Kátł’odeeche First Nation, Enterprise and Jean Marie River were forced to flee their homes as a result.
The wildfire burned through Enterprise and as of Wednesday afternoon NWT Fire said it was burning approximately 16 kilometres from Hay River. The town said shortly after 4pm it had intensified and was moving north.
