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NWT Fire said wildfire crews responded to one abandoned campfire along the Ingraham Trail near Cameron River this weekend.
“These incidents, which happen almost every year at this time, are a ticking time bomb,” the wildfire agency said in a Sunday afternoon update.
NWT Fire said the large campfire was still hot and smouldering when they found it, and was “extinguished without incident.”
They warned that with the critical fire weather conditions yesterday, a wildfire could have easily started if embers made it to the bush.
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The wildfire in Wood Buffalo National Park, named WB004, burning near a whooping crane nesting area experienced little growth over the weekend and is now 39,907 hecatres, Parks Canada said in a Sunday evening update.
The fire is approximately 22 kilometres northeast of Highway 5. There is no threat to communities or infrastructure at this time, but Parks Canada said smoke may be visible along Highway 5 and Highway 6.
Parks Canada said cooler weather, higher humidity and northerly winds on Sunday helped fire crews make “good progress” on the fire, including hand ignitions and bucket drops on the northern side, and bucket drops to reinforce an earlier retardant line on the southern side.
Parks Canada said the fire remains within Wood Buffalo National Park.
One new fire – WB011 – was detected in Wood Buffalo on Sunday. It is approximately seven kilometres south of Highway 5 and is about 0.2 hectares in size. Parks Canada said the fire is showing low fire behaviour and is classified as being held.
