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A third wildfire is burning in the Sahtu while drivers on Highway 1 should expect smoke in part of the South Slave, NWT Fire said on Monday.
Fire VQ003 was started by lightning and is just under 100 km northeast of Norman Wells, the territory’s wildfire agency said. It is being monitored.
Fires VQ001 and VQ002, identified over the weekend, continue to burn some 25-35 km to the southwest of Norman Wells.
No risk to Norman Wells right now, NWT Fire says. These are the first two wildfires of 2026 in the Sahtu in northern Canada. You can see them as you land at the Norman Wells airport. More info via NWT Fire and Cabin Radio. Posted June 15, 2026. #northerncanada #thenorth #nwt #wildfire #canada Advertisement. Advertisement.
VQ002 has grown to 1,000 hectares in size. “Aircraft will be hitting this fire hard alongside the crews,” NWT Fire stated. No Sahtu fires are considered risks to communities or infrastructure at the moment.
In the South Slave, fire SS005 was caused by lightning. Its position was given as 17 km south of Highway 1 and 38 km west of Kakisa Lake.
“Winds from the southeast could push this fire towards Highway 1 and motorists should expect to see smoke. Crews have started actioning this fire, please be aware if you are driving on Highway 1,” NWT Fire wrote.
Fire weather in forecast to remain extreme over the next couple of days, particularly in parts of the central and eastern NWT, the agency added.
