Danger ‘still high,’ evacuees should prep for long haul, village says

Fort Simpson evacuees need to be ready for an extended stay away from the community, village officials said on Wednesday, stressing “danger from the fire is still very high.”

Villagers endured a terrifying Monday evening as fire FS016 roared closer to the community, stopping just a few hundred metres away in places.

While a change in wind direction halted the fire’s progress and gave firefighters some valuable time and strategic options, both NWT Fire and the village have said the work ahead is significant – and a 48-hour lull in fire behaviour does not mean a return home is imminent.

“At this moment, there is still no timeline for a safe return. Those residents staying in temporary accommodation should look for something more substantial, as the situation could last much longer than anybody wants it to,” the village stated on Wednesday.

The village’s incident command said the densely wooded nature of some properties meant any fire reaching the area could spread through more than 100 homes, resulting in “a catastrophic loss.”

“Losing half of our residential structures would take years to recover from, if we ever could, and so must be avoided at all costs,” the village stated, setting out why fire crews’ work would be prioritized over evacuees returning.

“Those with the means to travel should also explore opportunities to move to a larger centre with more amenities,” the village told evacuees, some of whom have expressed frustration at conditions like heat and round-the-clock light in Yellowknife’s evacuation centre.

A change in wind direction and rebounding temperatures both came to pass in Fort Simpson on Wednesday, NWT Fire said just before 6pm. Temperatures went back up to 25C and winds are now coming from the southeast, sending smoke into the village.

“Widespread smoke is expected to continue overnight before possibly clearing out tomorrow,” NWT Fire stated.

“The fire remains burning adjacent to Fort Simpson at roughly the same distance as yesterday – no meaningful growth towards town is expected into the evening.”

Helicopters spent Wednesday bucketing the fire, though smoke curtailed air tanker operations.

“There are many dedicated people fighting this fire every hour of the day,” said Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation Chief Kele Antoine on Wednesday afternoon after taking a helicopter tour of the area.

“From the air, you can truly appreciate the enormous effort that is under way.”

Meanwhile, Highway 1 and the N’Dulee ferry are open southbound to allow remaining Wrigley residents to safely leave.

Both Fort Simpson and Wrigley remain under evacuation orders.

There was no suggestion on Wednesday that the threat from the Wrigley fire, FS015, had increased since Tuesday.

FS015’s fire activity remains low after recent rain and the wind is blowing toward the east. Fire breaks are being widened and structure protections put in place.

“Let’s continue to hope this weather cooperates,” Pehdzéh Kı̨ First Nation Chief Jamie Moses said.