Conditions ‘still like those in peak fire season’

Here are the latest simple updates we have on wildfires threatening NWT communities, with time stamps below.

We have kept these summaries brief so you can get updates without having to wade through many paragraphs. More detailed information is published by NWT Fire and local governments.

Use our guides for help: guide to getting out, guide to where to stay, guide to everything else (including what we know about financial supports). Check our homepage frequently for other updates.

Here’s our fire map. Here’s what to expect from Cabin Radio in the days ahead.

All communities listed are unsafe for your return. Do not travel. There is no timeline for return unless stated.

Overall

3pm Sunday: NWT Fire says conditions in much of the territory are still like those expected in the height of June or July, rather than September.

“Daytime highs are expected to be equal to, or even higher than, the average daytime highs encountered in early July,” the agency wrote on Sunday afternoon.

Alongside windy conditions, that means “longer burning days than typical for this time of year,” and firefighting conditions like “those normally encountered during the peak of fire season, rather than mid-September.”

That means the days ahead are likely to remain smoky and you can expect “aggressive fire behaviour” across the South Slave and into the North Slave.

Yellowknife, Ndılǫ, Dettah, Ingraham Trail

2pm Sunday: Temperatures were some 10C above seasonal averages, NWT Fire said, and strong wind is expected overnight from Sunday into Monday. Smoky conditions continued, and may mean some crews are pulled back for their own safety.

On ZF015, crews are working to suppress the south side of the “north finger” of the fire. They’re also extinguishing hotspots on the fire’s eastern edge.

Crews working on ZF011 are cold-trailing, which essentially means looking for remaining hotspots and putting them out. Fire ZF085 is being monitored.

Hay River, KFN, Enterprise, Kakisa

3pm Sunday: The checkpoint entering Hay River has been moved from Enterprise to the intersection of Highways 2 and 5. Manitoba and Quebec fire crews have arrived to help, replacing crews from New Zealand and Ontario.

NWT Fire was expecting fire growth to the north on Sunday as temperatures increased, stating: “Winds expected today could push the fire a significant distance towards Great Slave Lake from the fingers of fire to the east of the Hay River on the K’átł’odeeche First Nation Reserve. Defences will be tested over the coming days with the weather conditions we are facing, [though] we are in a better position than we have ever been to weather these challenges.”

On Monday, another warm day is expected with wings from the south gusting to 40 km/h.

“We are now into the difficult days we had predicted and our team’s efforts will be
focused on reducing risks of problematic fire growth,” NWT Fire wrote.

Fort Smith

2pm Sunday: Sunday’s high in the region was expected to be 20C, with southerly winds gusting to 35 km/h.

“While the threat to Fort Smith has decreased because of firefighting efforts along the main perimeter to the south, threats to surrounding communities remain. Structure protection in the Thebacha, Fort Fitzgerald and Bell Rock areas will remain until the threat lowers,” Parks Canada wrote.

“Crews working areas throughout the fire have been reporting two to three-feet-deep hotspots. Putting out spots this deep requires significant time and effort. Hotspots must be excavated by hand or with heavy equipment and extinguished with bucket support from helicopters and lots of water from hoses.”

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