Fort Simpson fire: What crews expect from the wind on Monday

NWT Fire has set out how it expects the wind to behave on Monday afternoon and evening, in what could be key hours for the development of a wildfire outside Fort Simpson.

In a Monday morning update, the territory’s wildfire agency said it expects a gradual shift through the day to southwesterly winds, then a rapid shift to northwesterly winds once a cold front passes through.

Winds could gust up to 40 km/h in association with that shift, and there is a “chance of localized thunderstorm development in the area that may bring gusts up to 70-90 km/h.”

Conditions may allow extreme fire behaviour to develop, NWT Fire warned.

Any wind blowing toward the north or east could send fire FS016 toward the village. As of Sunday, the fire was south and west of the community, about seven kilometres from its airstrip.

The variability of the wind in the days ahead, and the complexity of evacuating Fort Simpson by air, road and ferry, are what led to Sunday’s evacuation order.

“With the forecast wind change this afternoon associated with a cold front, there is the potential for growth towards the community as the 20+ kilometre east flank of the fire may become the head of the wildfire,” NWT Fire stated on Monday.

Air tankers and helicopters will spend Monday “hitting priority areas on the northern and northeast perimeter to suppress growth toward the community,” the wildfire agency stated. Structure protection is under way.

More: Cabin Radio weather

However, due to the fire’s activity and “limited safe access into the fireground,” no ground crews are working on FS016 on Monday.

“If the wildfire begins to grow towards town, wildland firefighters and structure protection crews will work to protect community assets where possible,” NWT Fire stated.