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The NWT’s wildfire agency says a fire 15 km southwest of Whatì “has seen some growth to the north” on Tuesday as winds picked up.
Air tankers are trying to halt fire ZF048’s northern progression and a structure protection team is at work in Whatì itself, which is home to 600 people, alongside the local fire department.
“While there is not assessed to be an immediate threat to the community of Whatì, and there are significant barriers to spread, including large bodies of water, we are concerned about this wildfire’s future potential for growth,” NWT Fire added, reiterating messaging it had delivered on Monday when Whatì activated an evacuation notice.
An evacuation notice is the lowest level in the three-tier system used in the NWT. An evacuation alert can be issued if the situation worsens, and an evacuation order is the last resort.
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NWT Fire is sending a fire information officer to Whatì to provide more detailed updates.
There was no change to the community’s evacuation notice as of 4pm on Tuesday.
Whatì’s weather forecast calls for a dry week with daily highs toward 30C and strong winds this weekend.
