A wildfire burning 12 km north of Behchokǫ̀ is now “100 percent contained,” NWT firefighting authorities said on Monday.
The fire remains around 160 hectares in size but has been brought under control, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said.
“The Marian Lake wildfire … is now classified as under control and 100 percent contained,” a statement posted online by the department read.
“Ground crews will continue to remove fuels and extinguish any hot spots from the fire perimeter today.”
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Eighty-five firefighters have been working on both the Marian Lake fire and the neighbouring Awry Lake fire, 41 km northwest of Yellowknife.
“The Awry Lake wildfire remains about 4,084 hectares in size thanks to cooler weather, which has prevented fire growth,” the department said.
“Crews will continue to remove fuels and extinguish hot spots from the fire perimeter today to prevent the fire from spreading.”
Meanwhile, a wildfire east of Tsiigehtchic is a little under 30,000 hectares in size – placing it among the dozen largest fires across Canada so far this season (though many times smaller than this summer’s northern Alberta fires, which have reached more than 300,000 hectares).
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The fire, which began 90 km east of the community, is no threat at present and is being monitored. Smoke from the fire is no longer blowing in the direction of Tsiigehtchic and Fort McPherson and is instead being carried to the southeast.
A fire northwest of Wekweètì remains comparatively small but relatively intense at 303 hectares as of Monday.
“Tankers are actioning this fire today and crews are being mobilized to work on the fire this afternoon,” the territorial government said on Monday. The fire is seven kilometres outside the community, a figure which has remained unchanged in recent days.
Smoke forecasts suggest the Wekweètì fire could send smoke south over Yellowknife by Wednesday.
Another fire, eight kilometres northeast of Wekweètì, is also being worked on by crews and is now 98 percent contained, officials said.
