The southern portion of the Northwest Territories was of particular concern for firefighters on Tuesday as temperatures soared, increasing fire behaviour.
Here's the latest:
- Fire behaviour "imminent" in Fort Smith, update says
- Yellowknife still under evacuation order but city starts plans for safe return, bringing some hope
- Critical infrastructure not "yet" impacted by fires in the N.W.T., federal ministers say
Heat and wind are making conditions in the Northwest Territories difficult for crews to tame blazes.
A brief break in the weather over the weekend allowed teams to go on "offence" rather than "defence" against the fires. This strategy may not hold up over the next couple of days as firefighters prepare for "extreme fire behaviour" in some areas, however.
During a media briefing on Tuesday evening, Shane Thompson, N.W.T.'s minister of municipal and community affairs, said crews were focused on cutting away fuel and "strengthening defenses" around affected communities.
"It was another challenging day for firefighters with increased fire behaviour in the North Slave and South Slave regions," Thompson said. "Crews continue to work hard to prevent these wildfires from reaching out communities."
Higher temperatures and a lack of moisture in the air have been of particular concern to crews especially in the Fort Smith area.
"The weather and conditions of the South Slave (region) are going to be way more extreme than the North Slave over the next 24 hours," Jessica Davey-Quantick, fire information officer with N.W.T., told CTVNews.ca in an interview on Tuesday.
The rain in the North Slave area around the capital city was "lucky" for crews who were able to hold back the fire from Yellowknife over the last few days.
But the concern for crews and officials is the southern communities like Hay River, Kakisa and Fort Smith.
"We're not out of the woods yet," Davey-Quantick said. "The fire danger is continuing, the winds continue to be quite high and they do continue to shift…That is not helpful to us."
FORT SMITH
Crews on Tuesday were focused around the Fort Smith area where the temperature was forecast to reach 27C.
The community of 2,500 people has declared a State of Local Emergency and remains under an evacuation order as the Wood Buffalo Fire spreads dangerously close.
As of Tuesday morning local time the fire was four kilometres from Fort Smith and about six kilometres from Fort Fitzgerald, Alta.
"With the hotter, drier weather, increased fire behaviour is imminent," an update from officials reads. "THIS IS NOT the time to come home."
There are reports of people trying to re-enter the town of Fort Smith despite the wildfire threat.
A spokesperson from the N.W.T. told The Canadian Press checkpoints are being established to deter evacuees from returning. Those who are stopped at the checkpoints will be asked to verify they are an essential worker.
During the Tuesday evening briefing, Fort Smith Deputy Mayor Jay Macdonald implored residents who had defied evacuation orders to leave the town.
"At this time, it's not safe for our citizens to return to Fort Smith," MacDonald said. "And we really want to encourage those folks that are able to leave to please vacate the community and allow the first responders to do their job and ensure that they can focus on the fires and on the protection of the community."
The Wood Buffalo Fire started in Wood Buffalo National Park and fighting it is a joint effort between the N.W.T., Parks Canada and Alberta.
The blaze has grown to 4,304 kilometres in size, which is three-quarters the area of P.E.I.
"We recognize that this distance has not changed in the last week or so and we would like to stress that this wildfire is still a significant threat," the update reads.
About 277 personnel, 55 pieces of heavy equipment and 24 helicopters are responding to the blaze that crossed over Highway 5 closing the only road out of the community.
Officials warn "extreme fire behaviour is expected" due to drought conditions.
An update for the Fort Smith area on the N.W.T. website says on Tuesday the humidity will be lower than the temperature.
"This causes extreme fire behaviour and is extremely unsafe for people to be around," the update reads. "Winds are expected to come from the southwest at 10-15km/h, gusting up to 20-25 km/h. Given the forecast, this could be an extreme fire behaviour day."
Over the next three days, Fort Smith has an "extreme" fire risk forecast.
DANGER TO CREWS
Fires burning deep into the ground can severe roots of trees and create unsafe conditions for firefighters, Davey-Quantick told CTVNews.ca
"We're trying really hard to fight the fires, but also keep everybody safe," she said.
The southern portion of the territory has been under extreme drought conditions all summer, which allows fires to burn through the soil.
"It's hard to predict but what we do now is it is hot and it is dry," Davey-Quantick said.
HAY RIVER AND SURROUNDING AREA
Evacuation orders continue for Hay River, Enterprise and K’atlodeeche First Nation.
As of Tuesday evening, crews were still dealing with an "active fire" situation outside Hay River, N.W.T. Fire Information Officer Mike Westwick told reporters during the briefing.
"The fire is eight kilometers away from town," he said. "It's not safe and, given the conditions we're expecting to see there, it will not be safe for some time."
Crews in Hay River have set up 10 kilometres of fire guard, as well as fire protection around residential properties, businesses and community buildings within the town, according to Mayor Kandis Jameson.
Jameson said it will still be some time before the town is ready to welcome back residents, as staff work to get essential services up and running.
"We just want to have everything in place," she told reporters on Tuesday evening. "And again, it's going to be essential services, it's going to be our hospital up and running."
The small community of Kakisa with a population of 39 has also been issued an evacuation order due to a wildfire.
On Monday at 5 p.m. local time the Kakisa fire, which was eight kilometres south of Hay River, crossed Highway 1 impacting evacuation routes.
The fire is about 14 kilometres from Kakisa with conditions not looking good on Tuesday.
"Weather could be a concern over the next couple of days, with south winds up to 50km/h expected on Tuesday and Wednesday night," an update reads.
Highway 1 between Kakisa and Entreprise is open this morning but could close with little or no notice, the highway conditions map for the N.W.T. shows.
FIRES HAVE NOT IMPACTED CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
At a cabinet retreat in P.E.I., Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said the fires in the N.W.T. have not impacted powerlines.
"My understanding is that by and large, a lot of the critical infrastructure has not yet been affected," he said at a press conference. "We are certainly working very actively with provinces and territories and keeping on top of that, to ensure that if there are risks to that we are doing everything we can to address those."
Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu addressed how the fires have been impacting communities in the territory saying the government is ready to respond to the needs of evacuees.
"It really is all hands on deck," she said of the multiple government agencies working together to ensure evacuees have money, benefits and access to important documents.
Hajdu said her department has committed to covering all eligible evacuation and recovery costs for Indigenous communities.
"This is really a very difficult situation to manage for chiefs and councils, often communities are very small and have limited capacity," she said. "So the department has stepped up both in practical supports to help coordinate some of those evacuations to provide health support and then to provide the financial supports that are necessary in these extraordinary times."
Despite evacuation orders still in effect, the federal government is in talks with the N.W.T. on a plan to bring people back.
"It's still a dangerous situation but we're looking at bringing people back," Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, said at the press conference. "There's a multitude of departments involved in that and that's hopefully the next step."
There is no timeline in place, the minister said, for when evacuees can return home.
YELLOWKNIFE
More than 300 personnel (including the Canadian Armed Forces) are assigned to the fires threatening the territory's capital.
As of Tuesday morning, those fires were still about 15 kilometres from the nearest municipal boundary.
"Thanks to the weather, they have been able to do a lot of those water bombings and to suppress the fire," Rebecca Atly, mayor of Yellowknife told CTV News Channel on Tuesday. "It's also meant that on the ground, the firefighters are able to create those cut lines, cutting down trees (and) lay fire retardant."
Alty said the "good weather" has allowed crews to create a plan and implement it.
The city has been under an evacuation order for a number of days but about 1,600 residents have not left, Alty said.
"We still have too many people that are still here," she said. "I really encourage folks (to leave) the highway is open and flights are still available."
The concern for those staying behind is the limited access to resources such as medical care and groceries.
"If the fire comes and it's a threat, we want to focus on the fire and not doing an emergency evacuation," Atly said.
The mayor says she understands the anxiety residents are feeling being away from home, but there is some hope.
"What I can say though, is that staff are already working on the plans for reopening so that when it's safe to do so we can we can get people back as quick as possible," Alty said.
On Tuesday evening, she elaborated further on the two-step plan to bring residents back to Yellowknife. The first step, she said, concerns fire safety, while the second concerns essential city services.
"In regards to fire safety, (the Department of Environment and Climate Change) is continuing to work hard to fight the fire, and FireSmart work continues within the municipality," Alty said. "In regards to services that will be needed when residents come back, the City and the (Government of the North West Territories) are actively working on what work needs to be done when, by who and more. We started that planning on Friday and will continue working on it until we welcome residents back."
Included in the evacuation order for Yellowknife are the members of Yellowknifes Dene First Nation. The First Nation's Dettah Chief Edward Sangris also made a statement Tuesday, offering encouragement to members affected by the fires.
"To those of you who have been forced to evacuate, I want you to know you are not alone. Our thoughts are with you, our prayers guide your journey to safety," he said.
"Our community stands united, ready to rebuild and restore, to reclaim what is rightfully ours."
Nearby Behchokǫ̀ is under an extreme fire risk but the community is not at threat.
"The significant burned area surrounding the community, alongside the strong perimeter built, means the community is at very low risk," the statement reads.
As of Tuesday afternoon, no CAF personnel had been assigned to assist in areas of concern beyond Yellowknife and Hay River.
"We're still doing steady state operations in Yellowknife in Hay River area," CAF spokesperson Bonnie Wilken told CTVNews.ca during a phone interview on Tuesday. "And it's just continuing to be all hands on deck to support the government in the Northwest Territories in this fire response."
SAHTU REGION
The smaller and remote communities in the Sahtu region are seeing two new fires.
The fires were sparked in the last day, which is a concern for the area as fire danger risk ranges from medium to extreme.
The only road is closed from Fort Good Hope and Wrigley. The road into Délı̨nę remains open on Tuesday morning, the highway conditions map shows.
The Tulita wildfires are located on either side of the Mackenzie River near the community of Tulita. An update from the N.W.T. says the fires are active but are showing minimal growth.
"Both fires occupy locations of previous fires in the past: which means there is limited fuel available to them today," the update reads.
The communities of Délı̨nę, Fort Good Hope and Norman Wells are facing high fire danger on Tuesday. Colville Lake has a medium fire risk.
About 2,992 kilometres of land has been impacted in this region from wildfires.
With files from CTV News' Megan DeLaire and The Canadian Press.
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