A Town of Fort Smith fire ban on open air fires is in effect within municipal boundaries and Queen Elizabeth Territorial Park. Camp stoves, enclosed BBQs and propane-fueled cooking and heating devices are permitted for use in NWT Parks. They must be placed within regulation fire pits and should not emit a flame more than 0.5 metres in diameter and 0.5 metres in height.
Evacuation order remains in place for the Kátł'odeeche First Nation Reserve. The Town of Hay River remains under a precautionary Evacuation Alert.
This wildfire continues to be classified as Being Held at roughly 3200 Ha.
Yesterdays accomplishments
- Held fire on east side within control lines under hot, dry, windy conditions.
- Made progress on blacklining (extinguishing everything within 100 feet of a control line) on the south, west, and north ends of the fire.
- Addressed hotspots with limited support from helicopters required.
Today’s conditions
Extremely hot, dry conditions – reaching mid-to-high-20’s once again and relative humidity (the amount of moisture in the forest) reaching an exceptionally low level (below 20%).
This, along with winds from the west, may lead to greater burning behaviour and visible smoke in the Town, Reserve, and surrounding areas. This would push the fire east – away from the communities, but towards a lot of continuous forests.
Today’s priorities
Our objectives remain the same – to prevent the spread of the fire into continuous forest to the south and east where it would be susceptible to easterly winds which would push it west towards the Town, the Reserve, and other residences in the area.
Actions we’ll take to get there:
- Holding our control lines on the east side and southeast flank of the fire under these exceptionally dry conditions and unfavourable winds. This is crucial to prevent the fire from growing.
- Extinguishing any remaining hotspots within the Kátł'odeeche First Nation’s populated areas and doing what is possible to remove the possibility of flare ups to support a safe return.
- Continuing progress blacklining on the west side (nearest to the Town of Hay River) of the fire along the control line running through the Hay River corridor.
- Continuing to blackline control lines on the south end of the fire
- Addressing hotspots and transitioning to mop up on the north, northwest, and northeast sides.
What “Being Held” means
Being Held means the fire is not expected to grow under current conditions and as a result of firefighting efforts.
This assessment was made because of the team’s strong progress towards building control lines on the south end, and southeast flank of the fire.
This is an area where there is continuous forest. If fire were to spread here, it could cause spread of fire to Highway 5 5km away, the Town of Hay River 6km away, and communities like Riverwoods.
Strengthening these defenses were crucial in reaching this juncture.
It is not a certainty that fires which are Being Held remain that way forever.
Vigilance is needed going forward to maintain that status, and this remains an active fire.
Going forward
Over time, the work on the fire will transition to mop up. You can think of mopping up as a large-scale version of soaking, stirring, and soaking your campfire.
Crews will go through the area, look for hot areas, extinguish them, and turn over the dirt to make sure the perimeter is cold.
Next update
Updates are once a day for now. Next update at 9am tomorrow.
Getting information
An Information Officer has been assigned to site to ensure timely updates. Members of the public and media can reach Mike Westwick, Information Officer, Kátł'odeeche First Nation/Hay River Fire at 867-688-0958 or Mike_Westwick@gov.nt.ca.
This update is a snapshot in time and the situation can change quickly.
This lightning caused fire has grown to 3,858 in size and approximately 100km west of Kakisa. It is currently being monitored. No cabins, communities, or infrastructure at risk.
This lightning-caused fire is located on the north side of Dogface Lake. It has grown to 8640 hectares in size and is being monitored.
This lightning-caused fire has grown to 5495 hectares in size and located north of Silt Lake. It is being monitored.
All other active fires are under control or being monitored.
Here is information on precautions you can take to deal with wildfire smoke:
Here’s some advice to follow based on fire danger levels in your area.
- Low: Have campfires and burn with regular caution. Fires may still start easily, but it is less likely to grow and spread.
- Moderate: Take extra caution by keeping campfires and burn piles as small as possible. Fires may start more easily and have a higher chance of growing and spreading.
- High: Do not have any fires unless it is necessary for food or warmth. Keep them as small as possible. Pay special attention to anything else nearby that embers from your fire could hit. Consider using contained flames, like propane stoves or barbecues, for your cooking needs. There may be fire restrictions in place because at high fire danger, there is a good chance fires will start easily, grow quickly, and challenge firefighters trying to fight them.
- Extreme: Do not have campfires or burn things unless there is no other choice for food or warmth. Use contained flames like propane stoves or barbecues for food whenever possible. At extreme fire danger, forests are very dry and it is likely fire will start easily, spread quickly, and cause real challenges for firefighters when they need to be fought. Hunting, fireworks, campfires, or other burning may be restricted.
