Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 16/99) - Smoke blankets the Dempster Highway, people may have to evacuate their homes and telephone services into the Inuvik region are threatened.

After more than a month of uncontrolled burning, a fire that has already torched more than 150,000 hectares is only eight kilometres from the community of Tsiigehtchic.

Resource, Wildlife and Economic Development's (RWED) manager of fire operations, Dennis Mahussier, said there is 25 fire personnel from Fort McPherson, Tsiigehtchic and RWED on-site to ensure no cabins or structures are threatened.

"It's very smoky and there's drizzle so we can't fly in. Our last assessment is that all values at risk, which includes cabins, trappers' cabins and homes are safe," Mahussier said.

"A fire that size is never under control, but we have protected all property of value and we expect to be able to continue to do that."

On Thursday, the fire hopped across the Sunny NorthwesTel Microwave Tower, located 60 kilometres northeast of Tsiigehtchic. That site is now out of danger, but the fire may threaten other communication towers down the burn path.

There are 17 microwave sites connecting five communities to the south.

NorthwesTel director of customer service, Tracey Johnson, said if one of them goes it may be impossible to make long-distance calls to the rest of Canada.

"All communications to Inuvik, Fort McPherson, Tsiigehtchic, Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk are handled by the microwave sites," Johnson said.

"We're doing everything we can to ensure everyone continues to receive service."

Johnson said the Sunny microwave tower was scorched on the windward side and the smoke caused some signal degradation. Fire crews and NorthwesTel staff cleared brush from around the tower, installed sprinklers and used foam fire retardant to protect the facility.

"We didn't lose the signal and we've been calling Inuvik every 10 minutes. The dial tone is clear,"

Johnson said the danger has passed at the Sunny site. The fire jumped over the site and is currently heading southeast towards another microwave site.

Mahussier said it will take rain to slow the fire down and snow to put it out, though even that is no guarantee.

"Snow may not put it out. It may still be smouldering next year," Mahussier said.

The community of Tsiigehtchic is currently preparing for any adverse change in the conditions. People there are also carefully monitoring the needs of the elderly and those with respiratory problems because the air is full of smoke.