Fire crews are beginning to get the Tibbitt Lake fire under control
| RESTRICTIONS UPDATE |
| Prelude Lake is open to the public. |
| Reid Lake remains closed to allow fire crews to use it as a base. However, cabin owners have access. |
| RCMP checkpoints and roadblocks on the Ingraham Trail removed. Information checkpoint at Cameron River bridge remains. |
| Emergency Operations Centre 24-hour information line discontinued. |
Darren Campbell
Northern News Services
NNSL (Jul 31/98) - Things are starting to look up for firefighters battling the Tibbitt Lake fire burning northeast of Yellowknife.
Paul Jones, manager of public affairs for the NWT Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, said forestry officials are optimistic about the progress being made to contain the fire.
In fact, they are looking up so much that on Thursday, the travel ban north of Powder Point along the Ingraham Trail was lifted. On Wednesday, officials lifted a ban on campfires within Yellowknife and in territorial parks along the Ingraham Trail. Jones said this week's cool temperatures, relatively high humidity and lack of wind have kept the forests damp.
He added that RWED is still using airborne infrared scanners on the south and west flanks of the fire and they have been a big help to fire crews. The scanners are being used to find hotspots underneath the ground.
"It's allowing the crews to get in there, dig out the hotspots and get them out before they move on," said Jones.
But while the situation is not as bad as it was two weeks ago, the fire is still not under control. And cabin owners all along the Ingraham Trail are being asked to make their buildings fire-safe.
Lynda Yonge, who lives with her husband at a cabin out at Pontoon Lake, said the fire crews are doing their best to fight the fire. But she is worried that the favorable weather this week might lull people there into a false sense of security and they will be careless.
"With the rain we had on the weekend some people seem to think the danger is over," said Yonge. Yonge said the residents of the 10 cabins that are at the lake were prepared with an evacuation plan to contact everyone if it had been necessary.
Mick Beauchamp, Yellowknife fire chief, said although the fire bans have been lifted, the fire is still out there and it will have to be worked on all summer.
But he admitted things are starting to return to normal along the trail.
"Hopefully the area hasn't been too badly affected," said Beauchamp. "The main thing is nobody got hurt and nobody lost their life."
