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NWT Fire says the threat to Jean Marie River from wildfire FS014 has “fallen significantly” after 10 mm of rain, but a cabin was lost during the fire’s weekend growth.
Rain on Sunday and Monday helped to stall the wildfire, which has been burning between Fort Simpson and Jean Marie River since June.
Jean Marie River ended its evacuation alert at 4:30pm on Monday, moving instead to an evacuation notice, the lowest rung on the wildfire threat ladder.
The territory’s wildfire agency said “structure protection equipment will be demobilized in the coming days” because the threat has diminished following heavy rain.
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However, the weekend brought hot, dry conditions before that rain, and NWT Fire said on Monday a cabin had been lost during “significant growth” in that weather.
“This is always unfortunate when it happens, but is a reality sometimes when facing extreme fire behaviour,” the agency stated.
“All northerners are reminded that creating defensible space – area around cabins and homes where forest fuels are cleared – within 10 metres of a cabin can make a big difference in it surviving a major wildfire event.
“Without doing so, sprinkler protections may be ineffective, and firefighters cannot safely protect your structure in many cases.”
