Fort Simpson prepares for road closure as FS014 nears highway

Fort Simpson mayor Les Wright and Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation Chief Kele Antoine say there’s a possibility the village could lose fibre internet, phone and road access on Friday as wildfire FS014 threatens Highway 1.

NWT Fire said FS014 could reach the highway across the Liard River on Friday afternoon based on current weather and fire behaviour.

Wright said if the village loses internet, Starlink access will be available at the village office, at the recreation centre and at the library.

The territory’s wildfire agency, however, said the fibre line is buried in the area, lessening the chance of any disruption.

Northwestel confirmed its fibre infrastructure is buried in that part of the Dehcho.

“The fire is near our infrastructure, but the good news is our infrastructure is buried there, and there’s been a considerable amount of firesmarting done – including sanding over in-ground electronics – and a lot of brushing of any vegetation,” said Northwestel spokesperson Catherine Newsome.

“There’s been a lot of investment in that area, but we’re watching it closely, and we’ve got teams on standby if something goes on.”

Wright said the expected road closure may create some challenges but the community is prepared.

“We deal with road closures all the time, so it may be closed for an hour, could be closed for a day,” said the Wright. “The Northern store is well stocked and we’re good until the next truck Tuesday.”

He said if an evacuation order is called for Jean Marie River – which is currently on evacuation alert – the community wouldn’t be able to evacuate to Fort Simpson due to the road closure, which had been its plan up till now.

Instead, the mayor said, they are looking for options in Fort Liard or in Fort Nelson.

While Wright and Antoine maintain there is no current threat to Fort Simpson – the river stands between the village and the fire – Antoine encouraged residents to stay prepared in case an evacuation order is eventually called.

“It’s just good to be ready, good to have an overnight bag, know where your medications are and know where your wallet is,” he said.

As of 4pm on Friday, Highway 1 outside the village remained open. However, NWT Fire said the day’s peak burning period lay ahead and the fire was still likely to reach the road by the end of the day. Fire crews are patrolling the highway east of the Liard River and plan to try to hold the fire east of the road.

Antoine said he wants to see “all hands on deck” to help stop the spread of the fire.

“Our hearts and thoughts are with the other communities in the North who have already been forced to evacuate,” said Antoine. “We want to urge governments to step up now so that Fort Simpson does not become another community displaced by wildfire.”

He said after this fire has passed, he wants to see communities across the NWT come together to strategize on dealing with wildfires and other natural disasters.

“We’ve got enough equipment here, we could be working on fire breaks for a community, it could really stimulate our local economy, put a lot of our people that are in need of jobs and work,” said Antoine. “We need to be more proactive in protecting our communities from threats like this.”

In addition to wildfire strategy, Antoine said the community needs better protection from poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke, such as equipment like air purifiers.

“We need immediate support from the GNWT and Canada,” he said.

“A lot of our people have been asking for a reprieve from breathing in this particulate.”