Fort Providence issues evacuation order

The Hamlet of Fort Providence says residents should leave immediately due to risk from a nearby wildfire.

Senior administrative officer Susan Christie issued an evacuation order for the hamlet on Sunday morning.

Christie said residents should head to Hay River. She said any residents needing transportation should meet at Fort Providence’s arena.

The Town of Hay River said a reception centre has been set up at the community centre, which will provide basic accommodation, food, recreation, programming and fire information services to evacuees from Fort Providence.

“Hay River welcomes you and is ready to support you at this time,” the town stated.

The City of Yellowknife recommended that residents of Fort Providence who are stranded in the city register at the evacuation centre at the Yellowknife fieldhouse. It said the reception desk is open from 8am to 11pm.

“This registration process is crucial as it ensures evacuees can access all available services and resources at the reception centre,” the city stated in an email.

Hay River businesses offer support

The Hay River Thrift Store said it would be open from noon to 4pm to help with any clothing or necessities evacuees may need.

The Rooster is offering free coffee and slushies to evacuees.

“Please stop by, take a break, and let us serve you something refreshing or warm – whichever you need most,” the Hay River business stated in a Facebook post.

“You are not alone, and our community stands with you.”

The Dog House Pub and Ptarmigan Inn Hotel are offering a 10 percent discount on accommodations and meals to evacuees.

SS014 grew over Saturday night

According to a Sunday morning update from NWT Fire, wildfire SS014 grew significantly overnight due to severe northerly winds and is now burning 2km northeast of Fort Providence.

The wildfire agency said Sunday’s forecast calls for winds primarily from the south until the evening when winds could come from the north and potentially push the fire to the community’s edge.

Structure protection specialists have set up sprinklers and water canons on at-risk structures along the northern perimeter of Fort Providence, NWT Fire said.

“We’re just going to keep doing everything we can to keep that place safe,” wildfire information officer Mike Westwick told Cabin Radio.

A portion of Highway 3 is currently closed due to wildfires between the junction with Highway 1 south of Fort Providence and the junction with Tłı̨chǫ Highway 9.

The NWT government said for people evacuating from Fort Providence, the highway is open to southbound traffic and both lanes on the Deh Cho bridge are open. It advised drivers to be cautious as conditions may be smoky.

Second NWT community to evacuate this week

This is the second community in the NWT to be evacuated due to wildfire this summer.

Residents of Whatì were ordered to evacuate on Friday. Reception centres have been set up in Behchokǫ̀ and Yellowknife.

Highway 9 to Whatì is closed to northbound traffic.

The City of Yellowknife said the evacuation centres in Behchokǫ̀ and Yellowknife are experiencing high demand and are operating near capacity. It said services would be allocated based on the order of registration and strongly advised evacuees to remain at their current reception centre.

The NWT government’s emergency evacuation relief program offers a one-time payment of $800 to residents 18 and older and $400 for each dependent under the age of 18 who evacuated their home community due to an evacuation order. The funding is intended to assist with accommodation needs and expenses such as groceries and gas.

To be eligible, people must register as an evacuee with their community government and not plan to file an insurance claim.

Clarification: August 31, 2025 – 10:47 MT. NWT Fire initially stated that sprinklers and water canons had been set up on all structures along the northern perimeter of Fort Providence. It later clarified that protections had been set up on at risk structures along the northern perimeter.