Hot on the heels of the fire department's decision Tuesday to issue a burning ban within city limits, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment placed a ban of its own Wednesday prohibiting all types of fires at Fred Henne Territorial Park, said Philip Lee, ITI's North Slave regional superintendent.

Extremely dry soil conditions - which increase the risk of forest fires and the rate at which they burn - prompted the bans, said Frank Lepine, manager of fire operations for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

A fire pit at Fred Henne Territorial Park. The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has banned all types of fires at Fred Henne due to extremely dry soil conditions causing potential for wildfires. Guy Quenneville/NNSL photo

"Yellowknife has been for a while now at an extreme level [of risk]," said Lepine. "The longer the period with no rain, the higher the probability of sustained ignition."

The ban - a yearly occurrence usually arriving in July - was placed much earlier this year due to a very dry start to the summer, said Lepine.

"Usually, in more normal years, we get significant precipitation in June. That hasn't happened for us. We've been in sort of a drought situation."

While fires at Prelude and Reid will still be permitted because there is no legislation currently in place to ban them, Lee said ITI "will be asking every camper for their co-operation in not having a fire until these extreme conditions are alleviated."

The ban is not likely to be lifted unless the weather co-operates, said Chucker Dewar, deputy fire chief for the city.

"If we get some moisture and something sustainable for a few days, then we'll allow burning to proceed again - grass burning and recreational burning," said Dewar.

"But if we're just going to fall right back in the boat of dry conditions within 24 hours, then we're not going to lift the ban. It's on until further notice."

Dewar said the fire department's ban was placed upon review of information sent daily to the department by ENR.

"There's a large duff layer, which is your ground cover, and all of it makes for a significant build-up index," Dewar said of current soil conditions. "Everything is drying out substantially, so there's risk to the wild land, there's risk to structures that are within the wild land."

Both ITI and ENR encourage people who do ultimately use fires to make sure they are not left unattended and that they are properly put out.

"Add water and mix the ash until the area is cold," suggested Lepine. Lepine admitted there is no foolproof method of defence against wildfires, given that there are people who may be camping in places without "proper devices to contain the fire."