Fire crews complete ignition operation outside Whatì 

The NWT’s wildfire agency says fire crews are working to significantly decrease the threat of wildfire to Whatì.

Wildfire information officer Mike Westwick told Cabin Radio that firefighters were able to complete a successful ignition operation to the south of the community from Lac La Martre along the La Martre River on Sunday.

“The idea with that was to use the northerly winds that we had yesterday to burn off vegetation in the fire’s path towards the community there and head off the main fire’s path to Whatì,” he said.

“That work has been successful so far”

Westwick said fire crews in Whatì took “decisive action,” in taking advantage of the opening in the weather.

According to NWT Fire, wildfire ZF048 remains 7km south of Whatì’s airport.

The wildfire agency said mild burning conditions and favourable winds are expected to continue on Monday.

Black lining planned with more favourable weather

Westwick said firefighters plan to take advantage of that weather.

Over the next couple of days, he said, helicopters and fire crews will be completing black lining from Lac La Martre along the the La Martre River, or extinguishing any remaining heat at the fire’s edge from the ignition line.

“That’s a really big step. It would significantly decrease the threat to the community as long as that work goes well,” he said.

Once that work is complete, Westwick said there will be “a really, really strong fuel break” between the fire and the community.

“The main fire there, if it were to make another push towards the community, it really wouldn’t have much to work with in its path currently, certainly through the areas we were most concerned about it spreading through before,” he said.

Westwick added that crews continue to maintain structure protection and sprinklers in the community.

Support for evacuees

Whatì remains under an evacuation order and Tłı̨chǫ Highway 9 remains closed to traffic headed toward the community.

Evacuation centres in Behchokǫ̀ and Yellowknife have been welcoming evacuees since the Community Government of Whatì issued the order on Friday.

In an update on Sunday evening, the city said it was working with the Tłı̨chǫ Government to provide reception services at the Yellowknife evacuation centre while the Salvation Army was providing onsite reception support, food and hygiene kits.

“Yellowknife is working to support our neighbours from Whatì and Fort Providence. We all know the challenges of being far from home in these difficult times,” Mayor Ben Hedriksen stated in a news release.

“Our community’s compassion and resilience shine through in moments like these, and I’m deeply grateful to everyone who has stepped up to help. Whether it’s offering a warm meal, a safe place to stay, or simply a kind word – every gesture matters.”

The city said that Rio Tinto, which owns and operates the Diavik Diamond Mine, had sponsored free access to Yellowknife’s aquatic centre for evacuees from Whatì and Fort Providence. The city is providing free transit service to evacuees while the Yellowknives Dene First Nation is keeping the Wıìlıìdeh Site open for camping for anyone who attended the Xat’o gathering who is unable to return home due to evacuation orders or highway closures.

Highway 3 reopened to traffic on Monday morning.

Coyote’s Family Steakhouse is offering 15 percent off meals for evacuees while D’Orient Spa is offering the same discount for all services.

The Salvation Army is coordinating all donations for evacuees and has requested that monetary donations be made online or in person at its resource centre in Yellowknife on 45th street.

The Tłı̨chǫ Animal Care Society, which helped to evacuate pets from Whatì, is raising funds to cover food, veterinary care and shelter costs for animals while their owners are displaced. The society said it has relocated 43 dogs and four cats to Yellowknife.

Qimmiq Kennels said it is working closely with the Tłı̨chǫ Animal Care Society and that the dogs from Whatì are being kept in a separate area and that daycare and boarding services will remain operational as normal.

Threat to Jean Marie River unchanged

In the Dehcho region, NWT Fire said wildfire FSO14 remains 15km northeast of Jean Marie River and 22km southeast of Fort Simpson.

The wildfire agency said Jean Marie River, which is currently on evacuation notice, is not immediately at threat but, due to the fire’s proximity to the community, concern for potential future growth remains.

It said Fort Simpson and the community’s ferry landing are not at threat from the wildfire.

Westwick said the fire “took a slight run” on its western most flank on Sunday and is about 2km, at its closest point, from Highway 1. He said there are no expected threats to highway access.

A structure protection team has been mobilized to Jean Marie River, Westwick said, and aircraft plan to attack the fire from above as visibility allows. He noted that visibility has been “an extreme challenge.”

“We were wanting to hit it with air tankers yesterday but we had to turn them around because the visibility was too poor,” he said. “We were able to hit it with buckets from helicopters throughout much of the day yesterday, beginning in the afternoon as the morning inversion began to clear out.”

NWT Fire said winds are expected from the southeast on Monday, which could cause the fire to grow west away from Jean Marie River.

It said significant FireSmarting work has been completed in the community this summer to reduce wildfire vulnerability.