Wrigley traffic to be escorted through wildfire-hit highway

Highway 1 between Fort Simpson and Wrigley will reopen for an eight-hour period on Thursday and traffic will be escorted through a wildfire-affected section of the road.

The NWT Department of Infrastructure said on Twitter the highway will open from 12pm until 8pm. Vehicles must wait at a roadblock for an escort between kilometres 630 and 650.

A wildfire burning some 40 km southeast of Wrigley jumped the highway earlier this week, leading to a two-day closure.

The NWT government says the wildfire does not currently pose a threat to the community.