Firefighters from the Northwest Territories have been dispatched south to assist crews in Alberta.
On Saturday, the territorial government said three South Slave crews and two from the North Slave, plus a crew member from the Sahtu, would be sent to help fight the Chuckegg Creek fire outside High level.
That wildfire remains out of control and is now some 280,000 hectares in size, the territory said. In total, just under 150 firefighters, 23 helicopters, and five air tankers are assigned to the fire.
To the north of High Level, the Jackpot Creek fire – responsible for closing the NWT-Alberta highway earlier in the week – is also out of control at 24,730 hectares.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
The highway reopened on Friday and remains open as of 4:30pm on Saturday. Visibility in the Steen River area is reported to be severely affected by smoke.
The NWT is sending hose bags, hoses, pumps, and water bladder tanks alongside crew members to help fight the High Level fire.
A separate tanker group has been sent to Fort McMurray, where it has been flying daily since Wednesday, and another Department of Environment and Natural Resources offer has been assigned to help crews in the Yukon.
As of Saturday, only two wildfires are burning within the Northwest Territories.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
One, 59 km from Enterprise near the Alberta border, was just four hectares in size and under control as of Thursday.
The other, east of Sambaa K’e, is 2,280 hectares in size and is being monitored.
On the Alberta side of Wood Buffalo National Park, the Lynx Lake wildfire has led to some road closures and disruption of park activities.
