The owners of Hearne Lake Lodge – potentially in the path of a wildfire near Campbell and Watta lakes – hope their sprinkler system creates a moisture dome that saves the lodge.
Getting a call about an incoming fire is the last thing anyone wants.
Edie and Ken Yoder were warned on Thursday night that they were in the path of a wildfire near the south end of Campbell Lake and a second wildfire three kilometres east of Watta Lake.
The fires, and the lodge, are around 50 to 60 km east of Yellowknife and Dettah.
“We didn’t have much hope last night,” Edie said a day after receiving the Thursday call.
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A second call on Friday morning with a fire duty officer was more positive, she said, after hearing that firefighters still planned on “doing everything that they can to save our lodge and Watta Lodge.”
On Friday afternoon, NWT Fire said strong winds could make it hard to suppress fire ZF024 at the south end of Campbell Lake. ZF011, east of Watta Lake, faces “numerous barriers to fire growth” and isn’t threatening anything in the immediate future.
Edie said she was told an ignition specialist has arrived and crews are looking at bringing in structural fire protection equipment along with water bombers.
She added firefighters have said they are checking “possible areas where they could carry out burnout operations, to help burn the fire back onto itself and slow its progression.”
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This isn’t the first time the Yoders have prepared to evacuate because of a wildfire.
Edie and Ken bought the lodge in 2011. In 2014, they bought a sprinkler system that covers the entire lodge grounds.
“All the buildings are protected and the trees in behind all get soaked down,” she said.
Eleven commercial sprinklers are in place, spraying water for hours at a time to create a moisture dome. She added this “has been proven to allow a fire to jump over a structure, rather than burning through it.”
The Yoders were told at least one wildfire was predicted to reach them by Sunday, which has given them time to prepare for an evacuation to a nearby island. They have two dogs, one of which is a large Chesapeake Bay retriever that will need to be sedated before getting on the boat.
“They’re OK so far, as long as we try to keep our stress level down, because they pick up on our stress,” she said.
In the meantime, the two have been packing supplies and moving their boats and kayaks into a bay far from the affected side of the lake.
Edie said even though she knows how to prepare, the fire this time is coming from an old-growth forested area that hasn’t burned in a long time.
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It all seems to depend on the wind direction, she said, adding that she felt there was much more smoke the last time the area faced a wildfire, in 2014. “It kind-of comes in waves depending on the winds,” she said. “Right now, it’s not bad at all.”
Still, the Yoders are preparing for the wind direction to change.
Edie’s advice is to always have a plan in mind – and install a water protection system.
“Invest in proper commercial sprinklers to protect your property,” she said.
“Don’t go out and buy a garden sprinkler and think it’s going to do the job, because it won’t.”
