LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
The forest fire season this year could be as bad as last year, according to an official with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Loyal Letcher, manager of forests with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, talks about the 2014 wildfire season during a meeting in Fort Simpson on Jan. 29. - Shane Magee/NNSL photo

Loyal Letcher, the regional forests manager with the department, gave a presentation in the village Jan. 29 about the season gone by and what could come this summer.

He warned given drought conditions that appear to be continuing into a third year - with slightly lower than average snowfall so far this winter - conditions could be prime for another bad year.

"This year could be a lot worse," Letcher said.

From October to the end of January 2015, 107.6 centimetres of snow has fallen at the Fort Simpson airport according to Environment Canada. For the same period last year, 111.2 centimetres had fallen.

Between 1981 to 2010 the village received an average of 187 centimetres of snow per year.

"Hopefully we get lots of rain this spring," Letcher said.

Massive fires burned 3.4 million hectares last year. The fires became large and intense very quickly, even burning over wet areas.

About 95 per cent of the fires have been attributed to lightning strikes - one day last year saw 34,000 strikes according to a departmental system used to detect lightning in the territory.

One of the first fires reported, in mid-May, was initially deemed not to be a threat to nearby Kakisa. Within a month, it was closing on the community, forcing evacuations, although backburning and firebreaks eventually spared the community.

There were several cabins and trap lines lost to flames in the territory as well, but none in the Deh Cho.

"I'd like to think that's because of good management," said Letcher during his presentation.

The fires last year started quite early in the season and some, like the one that entered the community limits of Kakisa, were at first thought not to pose a risk.

He said the Kakisa fire is an example of how extreme the last fire season was.

"I like to think we got off lucky in the Deh Cho. Our year was the one before (2013). But who knows what's to come," Letcher said.

While showing a map of the territory with past fire locations, Letcher indicated the region stretching from Fort Simpson southwest toward Fort Liard has remained largely untouched in recent years and he went on to describe the area as having the most valuable timberland in the territory.

"I'm worried about the Liard valley burning up," Letcher said.

The meeting, which 10 people attended, was one of a series planned or already held in the territory to discuss the last fire season.

Letcher emphasized people should register their cabins with ENR so that if a fire is burning in an area, firefighters will know where there is valuable property.

Maps of the region were laid out on tables showing the locations of cabins.

"There's no guarantee we'll protect your site, but we will try," Letcher said, adding people should also fire smart the area around their cabins, he said.

That means clearing trees such as spruce (leafy trees like birch can remain) and brush from roughly 30 metres around the structure.

While clearing trees won't stop a large fire, he said it could slow the fire down, potentially enough to allow firefighters to protect buildings. He said ENR tries to assess each fire to determine whether it poses a threat to properties or communities.

However, not all fires are fought. He said some that aren't deemed a risk to property will be allowed to burn, adding fires are an important part of the life cycle of a forest.

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