Ollie Williams and Kai Wilson·
"It's as close to structures as it can be without them burning down." Here's the wildfire picture in Fort Simpson on Sunday as work around the clock continues.
Everything Except the Wildfires
Cabin Radio's coverage of all non-wildfire news.
While the fire responsible for Wrigley's evacuation hasn't come closer in days, NWT Fire says winds from the north this weekend could mean difficult conditions.
The fire burning next to Fort Simpson was pushed south by the wind on Saturday to the edge of the village airfield. No homes are confirmed lost, NWT Fire said.
Firefighters' work through the night "prevented a catastrophe," Fort Simpson leaders said as they reported no primary residences lost to wildfire FS016 so far.
NWT Fire is preparing to demobilize some crews in the Sahtu and send them elsewhere after weeks of work on the Canol fire complex southwest of Norman Wells.
Crews spent Friday facing flames extending 50 feet above treetops as FS016 closed in on Fort Simpson. The battle to protect buildings will go into the night.
Some Fort Simpson evacuees in Yellowknife say initial problems are being solved. Others are finding it hard. Here's how people are navigating the evacuation.
A witness described residents rushing to quickly extinguish a wildfire on the Ndılǫ peninsula on Thursday morning. The cause is not clear.
Ollie Williams and Kai Wilson·
NWT Fire provided the first detailed assessment of where fire FS016 outside Fort Simpson has burned to date.
Fort Simpson evacuees must be ready for an extended stay away from the community, village officials said, stressing "danger from the fire is still very high."
Yellowknife teenagers helped quickly extinguish a brush fire near the city on Canada Day. Witnesses said a raven touched power lines, caught fire and fell.
Alice Twa and Kai Wilson·
"Everybody being displaced wore heavy on my heart." Gracyn Tanche is coordinating a group of volunteers helping Fort Simpson evacuees in Yellowknife.
Parks Canada says its staff are preparing in case wildfire smoke begins to severely affect visibility along Highway 5 from Fort Smith to Hay River.
Open fires have been banned on almost all public and private land across the North Slave and South Slave – a rare region-wide step for the NWT.
Helicopters and ground crews returned to action against Fort Simpson's wildfire on Tuesday, while new satellite images showed the Wrigley fire's burn area.
"A challenging situation we'll be managing for the long term." Rain has bought fire crews north of Wrigley some time to work out how to handle wildfire FS015.
Though fire FS016 burned almost up to Fort Simpson's doorstep on Monday, that turns out to present some big opportunities to fire crews. Here's their plan.
Ollie Williams and Alice Twa·
Fort Simpson's mayor described wildfire FS016 outside the village as "resting" on Tuesday morning after completing a lap of the community to find it untouched.
Fort Smith residents endured one of the NWT's longest evacuations of 2023. Now the town is welcoming evacuees from Wrigley and glad to put on a Canada Day show.
Alice Twa and Kai Wilson·
When Fort Simpson was evacuated because of a nearby wildfire, Diedra Villeneuve and Derek Mckillop stayed to feed the pets residents had to leave behind.
Alice Twa and Kai Wilson·
Plenty of evacuees faced challenges leaving Fort Simpson and finding accommodation. Berni Leader, who uses a wheelchair, described the process at its best.
An investigation into last week's fatal plane crash near Fort Simpson is continuing but has been hampered by fires and evacuations. Here's the progress to date.
Ollie Williams and Alice Twa·
Wrigley became the second Dehcho community under an evacuation order as fire FS016 closed in on Fort Simpson. Here's what happened on Monday.
Ollie Williams and Alice Twa·
Wrigley residents were told to head for Fort Smith as wildfires triggered an evacuation order. The only highway to the community has closed.
NWT Fire set out how it expects the wind to behave later on Monday, in what could be key hours for the development of a wildfire outside Fort Simpson.
Ollie Williams and Alice Twa·
Wildfire FS016 did not reach the village of Fort Simpson during its peak burning period on Monday but officials said winds could drive further change overnight.
Fort Simpson was ordered to evacuate because winds could push a nearby wildfire toward the village in the coming days, an official said. Here's the detail.
Ollie Williams and Alice Twa·
Fort Simpson is being evacuated because of the threat of a nearby wildfire, with Yellowknife the primary host community. Here's how Sunday unfolded.
A wildfire to the north of Wrigley is burning under extreme fire weather conditions. Wind is pushing the fire away from the community for now, NWT Fire said.
A wave of lightning-caused wildfires pushed the NWT beyond 70 active fires on Saturday, including new fires in the broad vicinity of Fort Good Hope and Kakisa.
The Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation's chief says favourable winds are helping and more firefighters are on the way as Fort Simpson remains on evacuation alert.
Fort Simpson was placed on evacuation alert over a fast-growing wildfire south of the village. Crews were "responding aggressively," NWT Fire said.
Authorities say no survivors have been found after an aircraft helping to fight wildfires came down with three people aboard about 50 km from Fort Simpson.
The NWT's wildfire agency said one of its aircraft had been involved in a "serious incident" while working on a fire near Fort Simpson.
As a warm week develops across the NWT, the territory's wildfire agency reported nine new fires while Parks Canada is tackling a fire north of Highway 5.
Environment Canada issued an orange-level warning for Norman Wells and Tulita as smoke from nearby wildfires affected air quality.
NWT Fire says crews have begun tackling a small wildfire between the Dehcho community of Jean Marie River and Highway 1.
A storm triggered a cluster of five wildfires about 100 km east of Inuvik, while a human-caused fire near Cassidy Point was swiftly brought under control.
Crews are moving in to mop up a small wildfire triggered by "a structure fire on the west end of Grace Lake," NWT Fire said.
Track NWT wildfires with our map, which shows active fires, hotspots, air quality, burn area, road closures, highway cameras, fire weather and more.
Praising the "exceptional work of incident response personnel," Parks Canada said the Klewi Complex in Wood Buffalo National Park is now being held.
A third wildfire is burning in the Sahtu while drivers on Highway 1 should expect smoke in part of the South Slave, NWT Fire said on Monday.
After just under a year in the job, Yellowknife's fire chief believes the city has vastly increased its preparedness for future emergencies.
After lightning on Saturday, two new wildfires have been detected between 24 and 33 km southwest of Norman Wells, NWT Fire says, as well as one in the Dehcho.
Parks Canada says more than half of the perimeter of a wildfire in Wood Buffalo National Park, near Highway 5, is now controlled or contained.
A Senate committee wants a national firefighting fleet and Indigenous-led response. Its report sets out how Fort Good Hope felt left to fight its own 2024 fire.
Unfavourable flying conditions are preventing firefighters from reaching wildfires burning over the border of Wood Buffalo. Even so, rain kept fire danger low.
Gracie Adams, a Grade 8 student in Inuvik, won a bronze medal and two university scholarships at a national science fair for her research on zombie fires.
A wildfire isn't far from a whooping crane nesting area in Wood Buffalo National Park, but the fire-crane relationship is more complex than you might think.
NWT Fire said wildfire crews responded to one abandoned campfire along the Ingraham Trail near Cameron River this weekend.
NWT Fire reported no new fires on Friday and said smoke affecting some South Slave communities is from a fire in Wood Buffalo National Park near a nesting area.
NWT Fire says a new wildfire is burning around 45km east of Highway 5. Crews continue to extinguish hotspots from a fire outside Fort Providence.
NWT Fire warns of wildfire danger in parts of the South Slave, Dehcho and North Slave regions brought by high winds forecasted until Sunday.
Fort Simpson's volunteer fire department has been working to prepare for wildfires from purchasing equipment to building fire breaks.
The GNWT and NWT Fire Chiefs Association unveiled a new program to coordinate wildland and structural firefighting to better protect communities from wildfires.
The Hay River Fire Department responded to a structural fire and two human-caused fires over the weekend. A fire ban is in place for Kátł’odeeche First Nation.
With more fires and more gear, the NWT government has tweaked the way it arranges security for its wildfire crews and equipment ahead of the 2026 summer season.
A new out-of-control human-caused wildfire is burning between Yellowknife and Behchokǫ̀. NWT Fire is reminding people not to leave fires unattended.
The NWT's wildfire agency says fire danger may increase this weekend in the Dehcho and east of Hay River. Strong winds are expected in some areas.
NWT Fire issued its first public bulletin of 2026 on Wednesday, noting an overwintering fire had been found through infrared scanning near Fort Providence.
Everything Except the Wildfires
Cabin Radio's coverage of all non-wildfire news. (Be warned, occasional wildfire coverage may appear if the article's primary focus is something else or if it's incorrectly categorized!)
Residents reported an explosion followed by fire along an access road between Yellowknife's Anderson Thomson Tower and 51 Street in the early hours of Sunday.
The MV Abraham Francis ferry that crosses the Peel River outside Fort McPherson came loose after a cable broke. Staff are trying to get it back, the GNWT said.
The NWT government reopened a Yellowknife beach after E coli warnings regarding the water turned out to have been based on an apparent sampling error.
Five modular duplexes built in Hay River will leave the town next weel by barge bound for Ulukhaktok, Housing NWT says. They'll arrive in early August.
NWT Tourism is receiving $500,000 from the federal government for a two-year project designed to "expand international reach for Indigenous tourism."
NWT RCMP say they met with Dene Nation officials following criticism of a 2025 arrest and "both parties committed for better collaboration" and communication.
Lydiah Rabesca turned a side hustle into an antler wall decor business that helped her uncover a passion for "creating spaces alive with story and intention."
Nobody has so far reported any illness in connection with elevated E coli levels at a Yellowknife beach, the NWT government said. Water testing is ongoing.
The NWT Supreme Court rejected a former Yellowknife firefighter's request to overturn a tribunal decision that denied him the rehearing of a compensation claim.
Fort Smith is now feeding evacuees from Wrigley through a voucher system that allows people to choose between the town's handful of restaurants.
Signs appeared at Yellowknife's Fred Henne beach warning people against swimming. Elevated levels of E coli are reported to have triggered extra testing.
RCMP in Yellowknife issued a new appeal for help finding Adrian Sangris, who is said to be wanted on charges related to a June 21 incident.
RCMP in Tuktoyaktuk say a person has drowned during an incident involving a snowmobile on the Arctic Ocean outside the community.
Talia is a two-year-old looking to join you on all kinds of northern outdoor adventures. Jasmine went to meet her for Cabin Radio's Pet Project at the NWT SPCA.
Yellowknife's Tree of Peace Friendship Centre has taken over a campground once used by the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation and hopes to restart programs.
