Firefighters in Fort Simpson are bracing for a difficult Friday after fire FS016 briefly flared up in areas on Thursday evening.
In a Friday morning update, the Village of Fort Simpson’s incident command said decreased cloud cover and stronger winds are expected to create extreme fire behaviour through most of the day.
That comes after a 7pm Thursday flare-up where fire FS016, pushed by the wind, burned an area around a tank farm outside the village. The tanks weren’t damaged and no part of the property caught fire, the village stated.
Fort Simpson, population 1,300, has been under an evacuation order since Sunday. Most evacuees are in Yellowknife.
Crews are “standing by to protect structures on the eastern side of Highway 1” on Friday, the village stated.
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“This is expected to be a difficult day on the fire line. We will continue to support the operation on our end and urge the good people of Fort Simpson to support each other wherever they may be.”
Chief Kele Antoine of the Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation said firefighters’ tents that had been located near the bulk fuel station have been relocated to the village’s papal grounds after Thursday night’s fire behaviour “to be safer and more comfortable.”
The Ehdaa National Historic Site, a meeting place for Dene and Métis peoples, also commemorates the venue for Pope John Paul II’s historic 1987 visit to Fort Simpson.
“We’re happy to host them there. They know the rules of staying there and to be respectful of the site,” Chief Antoine wrote.
