Jason Unrau
Northern News Services
Friday, July 27, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Twenty-three fires in the North Slave region this summer have burned more than 14,000 hectares according to Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) fire management division.

"Of 23 fires, 13 are out, seven are being monitored and three are under control," said Frank Lepine, fire operations manager for ENR, who is based in Fort Smith.

"Under control (is when) firefighters have extinguished the fire but are monitoring it in case it flares up and to check for any hotspots."

Lepine added that after "mopping up the perimeter," monitoring ensures nothing re-ignites, and this includes scanning the area with infrared sensors.

"We patrol it for a while and if nothing shows up (on infrared) we'll call it out," Lepine said.

"There's no reason to be in a big hurry to call these fires 'out', especially with the larger ones."

Fire number 23 this season occurred at Gros Cap - located 50 kilometres southeast of Yellowknife on Great Slave Lake - where a lightening strike caused seven hectares to burn.

"That's under control but we'll probably call it out later on this week," said Lepine.