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NWT now free of wildfires as another quiet season draws to close

A Department of Environment and Natural Resources Fire Boss aircraft sits at the Norman Wells airport in June 2020
A Department of Environment and Natural Resources Fire Boss aircraft sits at the Norman Wells airport in June 2020. Sarah Pruys/Cabin Radio

Wednesday marks the first day that began wildfire-free in the NWT since May 30. The last fire burning in the South Slave region, the territory’s 69th of the year, was declared out a day earlier.

In total, 21,747 hectares have burned in 2020 – the territory’s third relatively quiet year for wildfires in succession.

A more ordinary year for the NWT might see 500,000 to 600,000 hectares burn, according to historical data.

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In 2019, around 110,000 hectares burned, while in 2018 just 11,591 hectares burned.

The NWT’s fire season officially wraps up on September 30, but the Department of Environment and Natural Resources wrote in a Facebook post that “remaining active air tanker and firefighter bases will be shutting down next week.”