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Helicopters and a crew responded on Thursday evening to what NWT Fire described as a “small person-caused fire” in the vicinity of Yellowknife’s Tin Can Hill.
Two helicopters were assigned to the situation, which developed a little after 7pm following a report of smoke near the southern end of the green space.
The helicopters’ presence over Yellowknife drew significant attention, with many residents sending in photos and asking if this meant a nearby fire.
“One crew is in there with hand tools digging up the soil the buckets are dropping on,” NWT Fire’s Mike Westwick told Cabin Radio from an impromptu base of operations at the parking lot by Rat Lake.
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“Fast water delivery was a priority here as it’s obviously very close to homes. Hence the bucketships.”
There was no broader threat to homes or the city.
By 7:40pm, Westwick was able to add: “The fire was quickly actioned by a crew and two helicopters and the situation is stable.”
Just after 8pm, NWT Fire said the fire – given the designation ZF028 – had been formally declared out.
The nature of the person-caused fire was not immediately clear, nor whether it would be more thoroughly investigated.
