Whether it’s having a campfire, burning backyard brush, or ceremonial burning, fire is part of life and culture in the NWT.

But not all days are the best for having fires. That’s why we measure fire danger. It’s what you see on signs like this one up around the territory.

 

What is fire danger?

It’s a measure of how likely it is for wildfires to start, grow, spread, and challenge wildfire fighters if they need to fight the fire.

In the NWT, it is expressed using the terms Low, Moderate, High, Very High and Extreme.

Know it before you go

Knowing the fire danger before you go out on-the-land is one of the most important things you can do to keep yourself and others safe.

When you know the fire danger, you can make good decisions about whether it’s a good idea to have a fire.

During wildfire season from May 1 through September 30, fire danger is updated every day by wildfire officials.

Find information about fire danger online:

• Watch for signage on your travel route or within your community.
• Visit the GNWT’s wildfire update, select your region, and refer to the station closest to you
• Follow NWT Fire’s social media pages
  • Facebook
  • X
• Call your regional Environment and Climate Change office
• Visit your community government’s website
  • View the community government directory

What to do based on fire danger

Here’s some advice to follow based on fire danger levels in your area, how fires would be expected to behave, and what firefighting looks like at these fire danger levels.

Low

• What you should do: Be prepared for changing conditions. Have campfires and burn with regular caution.
• How fires behave: Likely smoldering ground fire with no or limited open flame, slow rate of spread, and inconsistent flame front.
• Firefighting: Direct attack with ground crews using hand tools and pumps and hose are likely to be successful.

Moderate

• What to know: Forest fuels are starting to dry. New fire starts are getting more likely and meaningful fire growth is possible. 
• What to do: Be prepared for changing conditions, use increasing caution when using fire on the land, keep campfires and burn piles small and be especially aware of wind gusts which could carry embers to forest fuels. 
• How fires behave: Surface fire with open flame, inconsistent flame front, moderate rate of spread, occasionally fires may reach the tops of trees. 
• Firefighting: Direct attack with ground crews using hand tools and pumps and hose may begin to be challenged. Crews may need to fall back to indirect strategies. Support from helicopters, airtankers, and/or heavy equipment may be needed to keep up with fire growth. 

High

• What to know: Forest fuels are getting very dry and fire behaviour is potentially dangerous for crews to fight directly. Fast rates of spread are possible. 
• What to do: Use utmost caution when having fires. It is recommended to use them for food or warmth only. Consider using contained flames, like propane stoves or barbecues, for your cooking needs. Keep campfires and burn pules as small as possible. Pay special attention to anything else nearby that embers from your fire could hit. 
• How fires behave: Vigorous surface fires with moderate-to-high rate of spread. Grey to black smoke. Trees begin to torch off (burn through the tops of the trees) more often and fire fronts are more organized. 
• Firefighting: Any direct attack on established fires requires air support from helicopters and/or airtankers to lower intensity. Crews may need to pull back to indirect strategies for safety.  

Very High

• What to know: The forest is extremely dry and the weather supports rapid fire spread. Firefighting becomes very challenging. 
• What to do: Do not use fire unless necessary for food or warmth. Keep any fires as small as possible within a well-constructed fire pit and away from any forest fuels. Put off burning any debris until better conditions. 
• How fires behave: Fires are reaching high intensity and likely to begin frequently burning through the tops of trees in evergreen fuels. Rapid rates of spread. Black to copper smoke, organized fire front, moderate to long-range spot fires may develop. 
• Firefighting: Direct attack at the fire’s front is beyond crew capabilities in established fires. Airtankers dropping retardant and/or water are required to bring fire intensity down and may begin to be ineffective in drought conditions. Indirect strategies are most likely to be the main approach for fire managers. 

Extreme

What to know: Weather and forest fuel conditions are critical. There will be rapid growth on new and existing fires and they will be extremely difficult to contain.  
What to do: Do not use fire unless there are no other options for survival. Use contained flames like propane stoves or barbecues for food wherever possible. 
How fires behave: Fires are continuously spreading through the tops of trees in evergreen forest. Rapid rates of spread. Long range spot fires are expected to develop – potentially kilometres ahead of the main fire front. Fire whirls and large smoke columns may develop.  
Firefighting: Airtankers are likely to be unsuccessful on active fire fronts. Firefighting actions need to be away from the fire front. Ignition operations – intentionally set planned fires to head off wildfires – may be the only effective tactic to limit fire growth. 

Check for fire bans

As fire danger grows, so does the chance of fire bans.

They may be put in place by community governments or by the GNWT. It is your responsibility to know whether there are fire bans in the area you are going. Not following them can lead to fines or charges.

• Find: community government websites and contact info for community fire bans
• Find: territorial fire bans in the wildfire update
• Find: information about fire bans at territorial parks
• Find: information about fire bans at national parks in the NWT (select Northwest Territories from the dropdown menu and click on the park you plan to visit)