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NWT Fire says the wildfire that prompted an evacuation order for Yellowknife, Ndılǫ, and Dettah is not expected to move “much closer” to the city on Thursday.
In an update issued at 11:41am, the wildfire agency said fire ZF015 had progressed slightly toward Yellowknife on Wednesday night and was burning 15 kilometres northwest of the municipal boundary at its closest point.
With isolated showers seen overnight Wednesday, the fire is not expected to progress significantly closer to Yellowknife on Thursday. Additional showers are forecast for Thursday night, though whether they will make a difference is still unknown.
The fire was also pushed closer to the Highway 3. However, this does not mean the highway is unsafe, said NWT Fire. Highway managers are working to pilot drivers through affected zones.
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With northerly winds of up to 25 km/h and gusts of up to 40km/h on Thursday, the fire is expected to be pushed to the south. The city is still at risk of the fire reaching its outskirts by the weekend, depending on conditions.
Fire ZF011, off the Ingraham Trail, has seen minimal growth since Wednesday. However, without rain, the fire is still a threat to all areas of the Ingraham Trail, which it could reach by Friday. There has been some rain in the area, said NWT Fire.
Currently, that fire sits four kilometres north of Prelude Lake, nine kilometres northeast of Prosperous Lake, nine kilometres northeast of River Lake and 10.5 kilometres north of km 34 on the Ingraham Trail.
