As it happened: Fort Providence ignition line holds

NWT Fire says an ignition line intended to keep a wildfire from reaching Fort Providence has held.

The wildfire agency had previously said Wednesday was a “a critical day” as fire crews worked to strengthen that fire line against expected northwest winds.

The planned burn was completed on Tuesday.

Fort Providence Mayor Danny Beaulieu said that work “went fairly well even though conditions were not ideal.”

“I feel this will prevent the fire from getting closer to the community,” he told residents in an update late on Tuesday.

Wildfire information officer Mike Westwick told Cabin Radio on Wednesday morning that crews used helicopters to burn vegetation from the fire guard north of Fort Providence to the finger of fire SS014 previously made its way toward the community near the dump.

The wildfire, which is less than one kilometre from the community at its closest point, triggered an evacuation of the hamlet on Sunday. Fort Providence remains under an evacuation order with Hay River and Yellowknife offering support to evacuees.

Westwick said Wednesday’s focus for crews in Fort Providence would be on mopping up the fire guard to ensure it holds against expected northwest winds.

“It’s a critical day there. We’ve got to make sure that line holds,” he said.

“We’re feeling pretty good about the ignition we got off yesterday. As long as we secure that line, that’s going to go a long way to reducing threat for the community.”

Westwick said sprinklers and water canons were being maintained in the community and firefighters were ready to patrol for and attack any spot fires that may occur.

Jean Marie River

Jean Marie River upgraded its evacuation notice an evacuation alert due to the risk from fire FS014 on Tuesday.

Westwick said “challenging winds” were expected from the north-northwest on Wednesday which could see the fire grow to the south. Tthets’éhk’édélı̨ First Nation said Jean Marie River may experience heavy smoke and the fire was expected to be pushed parallel to the community but not toward the community.

Westwick said visibility approved enough on Tuesday that crews on the ground and air tankers were able to access the fire with a focus on containing the finger that’s closest to Jean Marie River and cooling down its edge to prepare for Wednesday’s winds.

Westwick said crews hoped to attack the fire directly from the air on Wednesday but heavy fire behaviour could make that unsafe. Structure protection specialists were setting up sprinklers in the community.

Jean Marie River has been under multiple evacuation notices and alerts throughout much of the wildfire season.

“There’s no two ways about it. It really has been a very tough summer for the folks in Jean Marie River,” Westwick said.

“There’s really no other community in the past couple years here, since 2023, that have had firefighters in their community and been on edge for quite as long as Jean Marie River has been this summer, so our thoughts go out to them.”

He said NWT Fire is committed to keeping the community safe.

Whatì

Whatì has been under an evacuation order since Friday due to wildfire ZF048, which did not move meaningfully closer to the community on Tuesday. Earlier this week, a planned burn was conducted between the community’s airstrip and the fire’s front line, which is seven kilometres to the southwest.

Early on Wednesday, the community’s fire chief said Tuesday had been a “really good day” for crews and Whatì received some rain overnight.

Westwick said Tuesday was “a big test” as strong southeast winds put pressure on the fire line outside Whatì.

“That line did hold. There were no concerns so that’s really good work,” he said.

Westwick said crews planned to “clean up a couple of spots” and continue to ensure the fire line is secured while maintaining sprinkler protections in Whatì.

“We’ll be working hard to get that work done, make that community safe again,” he said.

“Our goal is to get people home as soon as it is safe and we’re happy that the work has been successful there to protect that community.”

Highway 3 between Yellowknife and Highway 1 was open to traffic as of first thing Wednesday with a caution that the highway could close with little to no notice. Highway 9 to Whatì and the Fort Providence access road remain closed.

Travellers are advised to drive with caution on Highway 6 to Fort Resolution due to a nearby wildfire, which is under control.

Live updates were brought to you on this page throughout the day. They’re shown below, latest update first.

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5:46 – We’re closing down live updates for the night, but we’ll be back with a new live page on Thursday.

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5:28 – As the evacuation centre in Behchokǫ̀ is closing and more evacuees from Whatì are expected in Yellowknife the city is reminding evacuees to register at the fieldhouse.

The city says evacuees have free access to meals at the Multiplex, transit, the aquatic centre, library, RV dump and fill station and a three-day visitor parking pass for downtown. Information on those services is available at the registration desk which is open daily from 8am to 11pm.

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5:06 – NWT Fire has issued another update on fire SS014, which is burning within 900 metres of the southeastern edge of Fort Providence.

The wildfire agency says the ignition line that was completed yesterday has held.

It said until work is complete to mop of the edge of the ignition line to build stronger protection, there are still safety concerns for the community.

Fire ZF052 remains 27km west of Edzo and NWT Fire says the community is not currently at risk.

The wildfire agency crews conducted a successful ignition operation

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3:48 – Here’s a photo from Drive NWT of Highway 3 at the intersection with the Fort Providence access road taken at 3:08pm. The highway remains open while the access road remains closed.

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3:37 – Leroy Rabesca from Whatì told Miriam Bosiljevac this morning that a lot of people are helping evacuees in Yellowknife and he’s with good friends.

“They’ve been kind to us,” he said outside the city’s evacuatio centre.

“They try and do their best to provide us everything, food, supplies.”

Rabesca said while some people are eager to return home it’s not yet safe to go back to the community.

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3:26 – Cabin Radio’s Miraim Bosiljevac spoke to some Whatì residents this morning who have evacuated to Yellowknife.

Raymond Rabesca raised concerns about the NWT government’s firefighting approach, saying he is retired from forestry work. He believes firefighters should have attacked the fire now threatening his community when it first started and was smaller.

“There’s a fire on the land, they should attack it,” he said, adding that climate change has made fire conditions worse.

According to NWT Fire, natural caused wildfire ZF048 began burning on August 7. The wildfire agency reported on August 8 that firefighters were working to contain the fire which was then 15 hectares in size and 27km southwest of Whatì.

The fire is currently 7km from the community’s airport and has burned more than 27,000 hectares.

Former NWT MP and Fort Providence resident Michael McLeod raised similar concerns to Rabesca during a meeting at the Hay River evacuation centre last night.

NWT has defended its approach saying attacking every fire the moment it starts is not the best long-term strategy as it can leave large quantities of unburned fuel leading to potentially bigger, more dangerous fires in the future.

The wildfire agency has said, in some cases, airtankers havee been unable to fly due to visibility issues caused by smoke and fire conditions have been unsafe for fire crews on the ground. It said the safety of people, including community members and wildfire personnel, is its number one priority.

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2:53 – In an afternoon update, NWT Fire says Jean Marie River can expect cooler temperatures around 15 degrees today.

It says, however, that northwest winds are still expected at about 13km/h gusting up to 29km/h which could push the fire closer to the community.

Fire crews aim to bucket the fire today when possible and maintain structure protection in Jean Marie River.

Tomorrow the wildfire agency says temperatures are expected to rise slightly with variable winds gusting up to 31km/h.

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2:27 – NWT Fire has released an update on ZF048, which is 7km from Whatì’s airport.

There’s not too much new but there is some positive news as today’s winds are not as strong as earlier predicted. NWT Fire says north to northwest winds are now expected at 9km/h gusting up to 22km/h.

Today has seen a few light showers so far, the wildfire agency says and temperatures around 10-11 degrees.

Tomorrow similar temperatures with northerly winds are expected in the morning before the winds shift and come from the southeast in the late afternoon.

NWT Fire says it is not yet safe to return to Whatì as visibility is extremely poor and the fire is close to the community.

It says aircraft continue to make drops on the fire’s north and east flanks to reduce intensity and slow potential growth towards the community. It says direct attack on the ground is currently unsafe and ineffective due to the size of the fire front and expected weather conditions.

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2:14 pm – The Dene Nation has announced it is postponing the 55th Dene Annual Assembly, which had been scheduled to take place September 16 to 18 in Radįlįh Kóe Fort Good Hope.

Dene Nation said the decision is in response to the urgent need to support communities affected by wildfires and meant to ensure that resources are directed where they are most needed.

“Our hearts and prayers are with all the communities impacted by wildfires,” Dene National Chief George Mackenzie stated. “We extend our thanks to the many hands working together to protect and support those in need. The safety and well-being of our people come first, and we stand in solidarity with all those affected.”

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12:48 – Mental health and counselling resources are available including:

• the 811 helpline;
• Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868, by texting CONNECT to 686868 , or through live chat;
• Hope For Wellness Helpline for Indigenous people at 1-855-242-3310 or online chat;
• Community counsellors; and
• online supports.

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12:34 – Activities scheduled at Yellowknife’s fieldhouse for evacuees today include pocket handgames at 4pm, rosary at 7pm and a drum dance at 8pm.

Cultural coordinators will also be cutting caribou meat.

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12:31 – The Tłı̨chǫ Government says the evacuation centre in Behchokǫ̀ will be closing at the end of today and evacuees from Whatì will be moved from that centre to Yellowknife’s evacuation centre.

The First Nation said buses will be departing from Behchokǫ̀’s sportsplex to Yellowknife’s evacuation centre at 11:30am.

The Tłı̨chǫ Government says it will continue to provide food for evacuees from Whatì who are staying with friends or family in Behchokǫ̀ at the community’s cultural centre.

The Tłı̨chǫ Government says its Department of Wellness and Healing will be available outside the Yellowknife evacuation centre and staff plan to conduct drives in the city to locate and check in on Tłı̨chǫ citizens. The department’s main office in Behchokǫ̀ will remain open for evacuees who remain in the community.

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11:40 – The Riverview Cineplex in Hay River is inviting registered evacuees to screenings of Freakier Friday at 7pm and The Naked Gun at 7:15pm tonight. There is limited seating so the first 150 people will be let in. Children aged 14 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

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11:00 – The NWT SPCA is asking for donations of dog food to the shelter to help support dogs from Fort Providence.

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10:52 – A notice to residents of Jean Marie River, which has been shared online, indicates Tthets’éhk’édélı̨ First Nation will be conducting a fire department siren test in Jean Marie River today at noon.

The First Nation stressed that this is only a test and that any future sirens will be a real notice.

The notice states that Jean Marie River may experience heavy smoke today and the fire is expected to be pushed parallel to the community but not toward the community.

“Weather is unpredictable. We are preparing in case the situation worsens. We are asking that residents continue to prepare as well,” the First Nation wrote.

If an evacuation order is issued, the First Nation said Jean Marie River’s fire department siren will sound three times. In that event, it said everyone must report to the band office to ensure that everyone has transportation and is accounted for before evacuating to Fort Simpson.

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10:43 – The Salvation Army in Yellowknife is asking for donations of bath towels, which it said can be dropped off with reception at its centre on 45th street.

It says anyone wishing to make monetary donations to help support evacuees do so online or at is office on 45th street.

The thrift store is closed from Tuesday to Friday this week to allow Salvation Army staff to help evacuees.

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10:38 – The Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre in Hay River is accepting donations for evacuees beginning Thursday. The centre said it is need of blankets, towels, shampoo, conditioner, soap, jackets, warm clothes, socks, kids clothes, diapers, formula, toys, games and puzzles.

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10:13 – I spoke with wildfire information officer Mike Westwick about the latest updates on fires affecting, Fort Providence, Jean Marie River and Whatì.

Regarding fire FS014, which is burning near Jean Marie River, Westwick said “challenging winds” are expected today. The forecast calls for 20 km/h sustained gusts up to 40 km/h north-northwest, meaning the fire could see growth primarily to the south.

Westwick said visibility approved enough yesterday that crews on the ground and air tankers were able to access the fire. Tuesday’s focus was on containing the finger that’s closest to the community and cooling down its edge to prepare for winds.

Today, Westwick said they hope to attack the fire directly from the air but if there is heavy fire behaviour due to the expected west winds it may be unsafe. Structure protection specialists are setting up sprinklers in the community.

Westwick said NWT Fire is committed to keeping the community safe.

Jean Marie River remains on evacuation alert. The community has been under evacuation notices and alerts throughout much of the wildfire season.

“There’s no two ways about it. It really has been a very tough summer for the folks in Jean Marie River,” Westwick said.

“There’s really no other community in the past couple years here, since 2023, that have had firefighters in their community and being on edge for quite as long as Jean Marie River has been this summer, so our thoughts go out to them.”

In Fort Providence, as we’ve already reported, firefighters completed a successful ignition operation to keep the community safe from fire SS014.

Westwick said crews used helicopters to burn vegetation from the fire guard north of the community, stretching northwest to the Mackenzie River and to the northwest towards the finger of the fire that made its way towards the community near the dump.

Today Westwick said the focus will be on mopping up the fire guard to ensure it holds against expected northwest winds.

“It’s a critical day there. We’ve got to make sure that line holds,” he said.

“We’re feeling pretty good about the ignition we got off yesterday. As long as we secure that line, that’s going to go a long way to reducing threat for the community.”

Westwick said sprinklers and water canons are being maintained in the community and firefighters are ready to patrol for and attack any spot fires that may occur.

Westwick said yesterday was “a big test” for ignition work that was completed to protect Whatì from fire ZF048, due to strong southeast winds.

“That line did hold. There were no concerns so that’s really good work,” he said.

Westwick said crews are planning to “clean up a couple of spots” and continuing to ensure the line is secured while maintaining sprinkler protections in Whatì.

“We’ll be working hard to get that work done, make that community safe again,” he said.

“Our goal is to get people home as soon as it is safe and we’re happy that the work has been successful there to protect that community.”

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9:20 – For folks from Fort Providence, the Hay River Youth Centre is offering extended hours for youth aged 12 to 18 from 1 to 6pm Tuesday to Saturday.

The centres offers free wifi, table tennis, a pool table, board and video games, art supplies, and snacks and drinks. It’s located at 906 Mackenzie Highway between the Caribou Centre and The Rooster.

Free bingo is also being offered today for evacuees at the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre in Hay River with doors open at 1:30pm and bingo starting at 2pm.

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9:14 – NWT Fire has shared its appreciation for Hay River Fire Chief Travis Wright and other firefighters from the town who the wildfire agency says “have ben crucial for keeping Fort Providence safe.”

The Town of Hay River said members of its fire department trained in wildland urban interface protection are in Fort Providence with equipment.

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9:01 – Morning everyone.

I wanted to share the Facebook page Hay River Helps where offers of and requests for support for Fort Providence evacuees currently in Hay River are being shared.

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Live reporting below by Ollie Williams

8:54 – Switching now to the voice of Emily Blake in our Yellowknife studios, who’ll take you from here.

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7:55 – Arcan Construction and Metcan Building Solutions have created a temporary kennel for Fort Providence evacuees’ dogs in Hay River.

“Thanks to the SPCA and generous community members, the pups now have food, fresh water, and a safe place to stay until they can be reunited with their families,” Arcan wrote online.

“It’s heartwarming to see how quickly people step up when it matters most. We’re grateful to be part of such a caring community.”

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7:45 – Whatì’s fire chief, Brian Dokum, confirms there was overnight rain in the community.

Dokum also says Tuesday was a “really good day” for crews facing wildfire ZF048.

“No spot fires, just a few hotspots on the south end of the airport but they didn’t cross the river,” he says. A planned burn took place earlier this week at the southern edge of the airstrip, with the fire itself seven kilometres to the south.

“This morning woke up to everything wet, so it must’ve rained during the night. Once we have our safety meeting this morning, I’ll have another update on timeline of demobilization and the return of community members,” Dokum adds.

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7:42 – From my colleague Claire McFarlane, covering the Fort Providence fire:

“Paschalina Nadli, an evacuee from Fort Providence, said she’s disabled and would have trouble sleeping on the cots in Hay River’s arena. Even though she’s on a disability pension, she didn’t make it onto the list of people being offered a hotel room.

“She said she had to rehash her medical needs with nurses in Hay River on Tuesday, who said to keep her hotel receipts in case she could be eligible for reimbursement later on – but she said she wasn’t sure if she’d ever see that money back.”

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7:35 – Yellowknife is definitely getting some proper rain right now, at least.

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7:04 – What happens in Fort Providence after Tuesday’s planned burn?

NWT Fire says crews will spend Wednesday “mopping up the ignition line from the edge of the fire guard” while aircraft have been working to “cool the edge down closest to the community.”

“Water cannons and sprinklers at the edge of the community remain in place and will continue to run as a contingency,” the wildfire agency stated on Tuesday night.

“Wildland and structural firefighters are ready to patrol for and attack spot fires as a contingency as the wind shifts to the north.”

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6:40 – There isn’t a lot of useful satellite imagery from Whatì or Fort Providence on Tuesday but we do have a good shot of fire FS014 to the northwest of Jean Marie River.

Below, I’ve uploaded two Sentinel-2 false-colour satellite images of FS014: one from Thursday, August 28 on the left, and one from Tuesday this week on the right. There’s a little smoke in the way but it gives you a sense of the fire’s activity in the past five days.

Fort Simpson’s island is visible in the upper left of the image. Jean Marie River is in the bottom right.

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6:24 – Today, the focus is likely to be on what the wind does.

By Wednesday afternoon, forecasts call for sustained winds of 20-25 km/h from the north or northwest.

Fire FS014 outside Jean Marie River, which has already had an active week, could be blown nearer the community by that kind of wind.

In other weather-related notes, it rained overnight in Yellowknife. I don’t have an immediate update from Whatì but the forecast there is for scattered showers all day today. Fort Providence has a chance of showers (and risk of a thunderstorm) all afternoon. There’s no rain in the Jean Marie River or Fort Simpson forecasts.

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6:05 – A brief recap of events occurring overnight:

Mayor of Fort Providence Danny Beaulieu said he was happy with Tuesday’s planned burn outside the hamlet. He says the Snowshoe Café is “feeding about 100 people” between local firefighters, NWT Fire, heavy equipment operators, structure protection specialists, helicopters and other personnel fighting fire SS014.

“A structure protection crew have put sprinklers on all houses along the edge of town. When the big pumps start up, it is like a rain storm,” he wrote.

The Tłı̨chǫ Government briefly posted to Facebook about relocating some Whatì evacuees last night, then deleted the post. We’ll keep an eye on that today.

We also have a report about Michael McLeod’s concerns and NWT Fire’s response to some of them. At a public meeting, the former NWT MP – who is from Fort Providence – told ministers the territory should hand firefighting responsibility back to the federal government because it isn’t doing a good enough job.

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6:03 – Good morning! Welcome to another day of live updates on the territory’s fires. Any time there’s a meaningful change in the information available for any of the fires threatening communities, we’ll bring you that news here.