Fire that threatened Fort Liard is declared under control

A wildfire that threatened to trigger an evacuation of Fort Liard last month has now been declared under control by NWT Fire.

The Dehcho hamlet spent from May 10-22 on evacuation notice, the lowest of three threat levels, because of fire FS002 some 20 km to the south-west.

During a spell of dry, windy weather in mid-May, the highway south of Fort Liard was closed following Fort Nelson’s evacuation while Highway 1 to the north was intermittently cut off.

Those circumstances had officials considering what, exactly, the plan would be for the hamlet’s 500 or so residents if the fire moved closer.

Ultimately, a combination of firefighters’ efforts and a change in weather helped hold the fire 19 km from the community.

On Sunday, NWT Fire wrote online: “This wildfire was called under control today after a month-long effort to tame this deep-burning overwinter fire.

“Well done to the firefighters and incident management team members from across all regions of the NWT and additional help from Yukon and New Brunswick.”

Despite some recent wetter weather, fire danger across much of the territory remains high to extreme. A large wildfire that has disrupted traffic passing between the NWT and Alberta continues to burn in the vicinity of Highway 1 at the border.

Meanwhile, NWT Fire said fire danger in the Sahtu is rising.

“Drying has reached the Sahtu, with several stations reporting high fire danger,” the wildfire agency wrote on Sunday.

“Even with some rain in some areas, drought remains significant in the south of the territory. Fire danger is extreme in several parts of the Tłı̨chǫ region.”