Smoky situation
Yellowknife in no immediate danger, say firefighters

Tracy Kovalench
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jul 15/98) - Stepping out for a breath of fresh air is not always so easy for Yellowknifers this time of year.

Smoke from one or more of about 140 fires burning across the territories takes the blame for blocking out the last few days of sun, after a record-breaking heat wave.

The number of forest fires in the Yellowknife area is "above normal at this time," says David Purchase, forest standards co-ordinator for the North Slave region, adding last week's high temperatures arrived about two weeks early this year.

Hot weather and lightning strikes have caused more than 90 per cent of the 282 fires across the territories to date. About half of the fires have been put out, according to Tuesday's fire bulletin issued by the forest management division of the Department of Resources.

With extreme fire- hazard conditions in the Yellowknife and Rae-Edzo areas, firefighters are eagerly awaiting this week's promising forecast of showers.

"The forecast says rain every day," says Purchase, who expects a downpour to eventually follow last week's heated condition.

"That's the natural cycle out on the land," says Purchase.

Department officials watch for fires in the North Slave region via a computerized lightning-monitoring system and around-the-clock aerial reports from pilots flying in the area.

The department records anywhere from 1,000 to 9,000 lighting strikes each day. The more strikes the better, says Purchase, who adds that rain follows increased lightning activity.

If a strike manages to spark a flame, and if it is detected at an early stage, a crew is dispatched to douse the flame.

A fire's risk to areas of value, that is any property and life that may be at risk, is RWED's top priority, says Purchase.

"There are none (at this time) that are threatening any life or property."