Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 28/01) - There is good reason why the oft-annual smoky haze of summer went missing from the Yellowknife skyline this year.

There simply weren't many fires burning in the North Slave region.

According to territorial manager of forests Lance Schmidt, this year's fire tally is the lowest for the region since officials began taking records more than 30 years ago. "We were at about 30 to 40 per cent below average for the North Slave this year," said Schmidt. "Less than 10 hectares burned."

Compared with the 165,000 hectares burned during the Tibbitt Lake fire of 1999, this year's burn total was but a drop in the bucket.

Nineteen fires forest fires were reported this summer, including one reported near White Beach Point on Great Slave Lake Monday, but that number is well below average for the North Slave region, said Schmidt. Normally, the region sees between 70 and 80 fires a year.

"It was looking like it was going to be a busy year," said Schmidt. "There were three days in June that were hot, hot, hot, but then after that it was very cool."

Schmidt said that heavy precipitation throughout the summer prevented any drought conditions from prevailing for long -- an essential ingredient for any busy fire season.

All fire crews could do this year was wait, and prepare for next year, although some of them did join forest firefighting in Ontario this summer.

"Granted, it was slow, and we couldn't find any work for the boys, we just had to change modes," said Schmidt. The slow season, did, however, provide an opportunity for crews to hone their skills and clean up old fire camps.