Warm weather and predicted lightning could mean plenty of smoke by the weekend
Derek Neary
Northern News Services
NNSL (Jun 18/99) - Fire hazard levels in the Deh Cho have climbed to extreme levels.
A severe fire behaviour warning is in effect for all western regions of the NWT, burning permits are no longer being issued and people are being asked not to start campfires unless absolutely necessary, according to Loyal Letcher, manager of forests with RWED.
"We're on red alert with all our crews and towers and we have extra helicopters on," Letcher said. "What we're trying to tell people is to be very careful."
The severe fire behaviour warning means that crown fires are a definite risk. They move extremely quickly and pose a clear threat to fire crews, according to Letcher.
The warm weather in the Deh Cho is expected to tail off by Friday and more unstable weather is predicted to develop on Saturday. That greatly increases the likelihood of lightning and related fire activity, he said, adding that more than 90 per cent of fires in the NWT are caused by lightning.
As of Tuesday, at least one fire had been reported in each region of five regions of the NWT, except the Deh Cho.
"We're lucky so far," said Letcher. "Usually we get at least a couple of fires by the 12th of June, but here we are on the 15th and we haven't had one yet."
The absence of fires has enabled RWED to complete its training of fire crews without the disruptions caused when a blaze breaks out, Letcher noted.
"Usually we're not able to finish it because we have to pull them off the training and go directly fight a fire," he explained. "All the guys are raring to go."
There are eight crews in the region: four in Fort Simpson, two in Fort Liard, one in Trout Lake and one in Wrigley. There are seven staffed towers as well.
Some lightning activity has been detected in the region, but mostly within the clouds rather than igniting the dry ground, he noted. The threat of a "hold-over" fire has also been avoided. Some years the fires of late fall are not quite extinguished completely and a smouldering ember can re-ignite a fire in the spring.
