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NWT Fire says air tankers and crews have made rapid progress to halt the spread of a wildfire near Aurora Village, a wilderness-based tour operator northeast of Yellowknife.
The fire has been designated ZF060. Satellite hotspot data suggested a heat source just to the southeast of the Aurora Village compound, which primarily consists of teepees used for the likes of aurora viewing.
Just after 3pm, an NWT Fire spokesperson said air tankers had “stopped the fire from progressing further into the bush” and a crew had arrived to “secure the tanker action and mop up.”
Both wildland firefighters and Yellowknife’s municipal firefighters were involved in the response.
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“There is no further threat currently to values in the area,” NWT Fire stated, thanking people who had reported the fire.
Aurora Village is about 20 km outside Yellowknife.
Bill Braden – at Cassidy Point, a small group of homes just north of Aurora Village on Prosperous Lake – described being able to see various firefighting aircraft above the fire shortly before 3pm on Saturday.
He said a small plume of smoke could be seen from the direction of Ptarmigan Mine to the south.
Much of the southern NWT is facing extreme fire weather this weekend. More than 200 fires are active across the territory.
