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NWT faces high fire threat
GNWT says territorial firefighters will not be sent to help attack Slave Lake blaze

Sarah Ferguson
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, May 18, 2011

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Firefighters from the NWT will not join the more than 900-strong brigade deployed in Slave Lake, Alta., to combat an inferno that has engulfed a reported one-third of the community.

NNSL photo/graphic

NWT firefighters will not be deployed to Slave Lake, Alta., to help combat a fire that is raging through the community and has forced the evacuation of 7,000 people. The fire threat in the NWT is so high the government is playing it safe and keeping its fire crews "close to home," according to David Purchase, duty officer for the GNWT Forest Management Division. - NNSL file photo

Tinder-dry conditions in the territory forced the decision to keep territorial firefighters "close to home," said David Purchase, duty officer for the GNWT Forest Management Division in Fort Smith.

"We are playing it safe, and want our crews to stick around just in case an emergency arises," he said Monday.

Many areas in the NWT have recorded below average snowfall this year, and due to low humidity levels and extremely dry conditions, fires can burn out of control, Purchase said.

"The weather has been extremely dry this year, which puts many communities at high risk for wild fires," he said. "Right now, the risk (of fire) is sitting in the high to extremely high range."

With that in mind, Purchase is warning Northerners to avoid lighting fires during spring recreational activities.

"By no means are we discouraging people from going out and having fun while going out on the land or camping, but we want people to be very careful and to avoid setting fires if possible," he said.

His warning comes several days after a wildfire raged through the city of Slave Lake, Alta, forcing close to 7,000 residents to evacuate their homes. Purchase said Northern communities could face the same fate as Slave Lake, if residents become careless about their use of fire.

"Unfortunately, we aren’t planning to see any shift in the amount of precipitation over the next while, and without the rain, the risk of fire is not going to go away any time soon," said Purchase.

He said there have been two fires reported in the NWT to date this season. Both fires – one at Blachford Lake Lodge between Lutsel K'e and Yellowknife and the other in Fort Smith – have been extinguished and Purchase said each was human caused.

Although NWT firefighters won't be on the ground in Alberta, air resources are soaring the sky courtesy of Buffalo Airways. A call to the company confirmed Buffalo aircraft are aiding the air assault on the fire, however an official from the company did not return calls before press time to provide further detail.

Leroy Andre, renewable resources officer in Deline, said property owners should take extra precautions to protect their possessions this year.

"Cabin owners should thin out the trees and shrubs around their property, and clean up loose leaves, to minimize the risk ," he said. "You can’t put a price on human health; that is the most important concern to everyone."

The GNWT's Department of Environmental and Natural Resources recently launched a new website, www.nwtfire.com, which will keep area residents informed about the risk of fire in different parts of the NWT and the status of fires burning.

"The website is still being completed, so some parts are still being added, but it’s a great resource – we think it will be a very useful tool when it comes to dealing with fires," Purchase said.

The website features a 24-hour lightning map, which documents lightning strikes around the NWT as they occur, and a 'Daily Fire Danger' map that monitors "hot spots," where fires are likely to start.

Residents who want to report a fire are urged to call the 24-hour NWT fire hotline at 1-877-NWTfire (1-877-698-3473).

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