Crews work into night to save Fort Simpson homes after intense day

Firefighters will work overnight to try to protect homes in Fort Simpson’s Wild Rose subdivision from wildfire FS016, NWT Fire said as Friday turned into Saturday.

Shortly after midnight – following a day of extreme fire behaviour with flames extending 50 feet above treetops – the territory’s wildfire agency said it did not have a clear picture of FS016’s exact perimeter.

NWT Fire did not assert that any buildings had burned. Officials said “fire activity was successfully limited in residential areas at this time.”

Chief Kele Antoine of the Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation said the only damage he saw having toured vulnerable areas of the community was siding warped by the heat at his brother’s property.

He noted, however, that he had not been able to get to all areas and could not be certain that all buildings escaped damage.

“I did not personally see any obvious structural damage in the areas I was able to access,” Chief Antoine wrote just after midnight, returning from a trip to the Wild Rose, Nogha Heights and Tamarack Court areas. (He posted a map of his best guess at the area burned.)

NWT Fire stressed that satellite hotspot detection – which showed heat across the Wild Rose subdivision, south of the main village – is not a reliable source of on-the-ground fire damage.

“A clearer picture of the situation will be available [on Saturday] as smoke clears and a full assessment of the fireground can be completed,” the wildfire agency stated.

Extreme fire conditions persisted throughout Friday, with a wind that officials said was about as unfavourable as possible in terms of direction and consistent strength.

“For the first time since this wildfire began, I find myself feeling a little helpless,” wrote Antoine at 9pm on Friday, describing his inability at the time to assess the situation first-hand with remaining Fort Simpson residents under a shelter-in-place order.

The village has been under a broader evacuation order since Sunday. Most residents are being housed in Yellowknife.

Crews spent the day working on controlled burns and structure protection to try to prepare buildings in the vicinity of Wild Rose, removing as much fuel as possible before southwest winds drove the fire closer.

At one point in the evening, a spot fire on the village’s main island had to be rapidly addressed by helicopters and crews, NWT Fire said, adding it did not spread. Otherwise, the island is said not to have been affected.

The fire crossed Highway 1 at several locations near Wild Rose.

“The wildfire will remain burning across Highway 1 overnight. Wildland urban interface crews and other emergency responders will be actively working on Highway 1 and in residential areas such as Wild Rose,” NWT Fire said in its early Saturday update.

“Many hazards are present such as danger trees and extremely limited visibility. The area is closed to non-essential personnel.”

On Friday afternoon, the NWT Power Corporation said it had disconnected power in the Wild Rose area at fire crews’ request, for their safety.

In an earlier update, the Village of Fort Simpson’s incident command said decreased cloud cover and stronger winds were expected to create difficulty through most of the day.

That warning came after a 7pm Thursday flare-up where 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.

Chief Antoine – who has remained in the vicinity of the village – said on Friday the community had learned “just how quickly a wildfire situation can change.”

“One minute things can look stable,” Antoine wrote in an afternoon update, “and the next minute, changing winds and these dry conditions can cause it to flare up unexpectedly.”

Antoine also said firefighters’ tents that had been located near the bulk fuel station were 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,” Antoine wrote.

This is the sixth consecutive year in which at least one NWT community has faced evacuation because of flooding or fires. People who led other communities through past crises were watching on Friday.

“I know everyone is praying for your community and will continue to pray for you and your community,” wrote Collin Pierrot, who led Fort Good Hope as chief during its 2024 wildfire, in an online comment addressed to Antoine.

The weather over Fort Simpson is forecast to change again from Saturday onward.

Wind direction is expected to shift once more, potentially pushing the fire away from the village, while some showers are also in Saturday’s forecast.

Those conditions could give firefighters time to more thoroughly assess the extent of Friday evening’s burn.