Fort Smith (Apr 14/03) - Rick Lanoville is a man consumed by fire.

Lanoville is a forest science manager for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development (RWED), and a fire behaviour specialist.

Concerns were raised by MLAs during the 14th assembly of the legislature in March about the dry winter and the NWT's readiness for forest fires this year.

But Lanoville says the territory is in good shape so far.

"There has been below normal snowfall this winter," Lanoville conceded. But the NWT still has enough moisture in the ground from last year.

"Last summer we had a wet summer," he said. "And into the fall before the freeze up."

Below normal precipitation in snow amount was consistent all across the NWT this winter. But the wetness in the ground is still there.

"When the snow melts in the spring it percolates into the forest floor," Lanoville explained. "Once you're below the surface think of it as a big sponge a holds that moisture. how dry those deeper organic layers are is what we monitor."

As far as the drought is concerned there isn't any.

But wet and dry seasons go in cycles.

Yellowknife in 1998 was very much in a dry cycle. Fires here are mostly natural-cause lightning fires said Lanoville.

"We don't get as many people causing fires as they do down south," he said.

From June to August there is a lightning storm somewhere every day in the NWT he said.

"What drives the fire is the dry stuff -- kindling on the forest floor and the dead crowns on trees.

Fire can start four or five days after rain in those conditions, so Lanoville's job is never over.

Last year set a record for fewest number of fires his department has documented.

"We don't know what the summer will bring for us. But what we do know is when those deep organic layers are dried out, that's when you get some serious fires."