Close call is curbed outside city
Abandoned campfire spotted near Kam Lake before spreading out of control
Meagan Leonard
Northern News Services
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
An abandoned campfire was kept under control this weekend when a quick-thinking resident doused the spreading flames.
Late Sunday afternoon, NWT fire was alerted of a personal fire within Yellowknife city limits. A campfire was lit on a rocky outcropping on a Kam Lake island and spread to the surrounding area.
"There was a little bit of dry surface fuels, some moss, twigs etc., which allowed it to spread into the surrounding area," said forest services manager Mike Gravel.
"It did not get to any significant size and there was no major impact."
Gravel says a person boating nearby noticed the flames and acted quickly by dumping buckets of water on the blaze, preventing it from spreading.
"We've looked at it and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere now," he said.
"It's a reminder of how people should be careful choosing their fire site and making sure the fire is not spreading to the surrounding area before they leave."
Elsewhere in the territory, 10 new fires were reported over the weekend bringing the current total to 65 and 1,360 square kilometres burned. Although there are two fires 71 and 80 kilometres outside Yellowknife respectively Gravel says they do not pose a threat to the city limits right now.
"Two fires are across the North Arm toward Fort Providence, north of the Mackenzie Bison sanctuary," he said.
"Neither seems any threat to any community or value and has a low probability of any large fire growth at this time."
On average, the number of fires expected this time of year is 24 and 790 square kilometres.
The largest fire to date is outside Fort Simpson and is a little more than 320 square kilometres in size.
Gravel says they expect a slight reprieve over the next couple of days with rain and cooler temperatures.
He added the forecast predicts conditions will dry up into the weekend.
