Heavy smoke billows from a controlled backburn fire along Highway 3 between Behchoko and Fort Providence on July 29. Fire crews said the burn was successful, however by the afternoon of Aug. 1 the highway had closed once again. - photo courtesy of Tony Vermillion/Department of Environment and Natural Resources

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
2014 was a forest fire season that no one in the NWT will soon forget.

It included thick, choking smoke shrouding many communities, voluntary evacuations, highway closures, a destroyed lodge, a razed homestead and a sky bizarrely turned black in the middle of the day.

Tanner Gibeault sprays water on a huge fire about 450 metres from his family cabin on Consolation Lake. This photo was taken during the first week of July, relatively early on in what would turn out to be one of the worst forest fire seasons in NWT history. - photo courtesy of Gord Gibeault

It cost the GNWT more than $55 million to contain when initially, the government had budgeted $7 million.

What it didn't include, thankfully, were any deaths or serious injuries.

Ella Stinson, a spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR), said officials began to realize this forest fire season had the potential to be bad early on because of very little snow melt and virtually no spring precipitation.

By the end of May, it was first predicted then to be an extreme fire season as the NWT was experiencing extreme drought conditions.

Hundreds of firefighters from several provinces, the Yukon and Alaska came to help. They left with the gratitude of NWT residents who were acutely aware that these crews were all that was standing between fires reaching communities.

On Sept. 30, the worst forest fire season in 40 years was officially over. News/North takes a look back at the important milestone dates, events and stories that shaped what many long-time residents have called the worst forest fire season ever in the NWT.

June 13:

It begins innocently enough as ENR officials report 11 forest fires burning in the NWT, five of them in the North Slave region.

Nine of those fires were suspected of being caused by people, prompting ENR staff to issue warnings about fire safety, pointing out the dry conditions caused by snow evaporating before the ground had a chance to thaw.

June 18:

In Fort Smith, the smoke is so thick that the street lights come on in the middle of the day.

It had drifted in from a fire burning approximately 60 kilometres to the southwest in the Alberta portion of Wood Buffalo National Park.

June 27:

A voluntary evacuation order is issued for the community of Kakisa as fire threatens the area.

Most residents of the community of about 50 people left for either Hay River or Fort Providence. A half dozen people, including Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation Chief Lloyd Chicot, stayed behind. At one point, the fire was within 100 metres of homes.

The evacuation order was lifted more than a week later.

No buildings were lost and no injuries were reported.

In territorial parks, a fire ban, cancelled earlier in the summer, was re-instated, prohibiting fires in approved fire pits. That ban would last for most of the summer.

July 2:

Highway 3 between Behchoko at Fort Providence closes for the first time in 2014 due to poor visibility and smoke and fire burning close to the highway.

The highway closed and re-opened 25 separate times over the course of the summer, the final closure coming on Aug. 22, according to Megan Holsapple, a spokesperson with the Department of Transportation (DOT).

She stated in an e-mail that there were 39 days when that section of highway was closed for at least part of the day. The worst stretch was between July 18 and Aug. 6, when the highway was closed for at least part of the day for 19 straight days. The closures led to hundreds of truckers and other motorists being stranded in either Yellowknife or Fort Providence.

There were times when the highway remained closed but DOT vehicles were able to lead convoys of vehicles through the fire zone. There were other days where officials deemed the situation too dangerous to allow any traffic through.

Elsewhere in the territory, there were sporadic highway closures due to smoke and fire throughout the summer.

July 2 was also the first day ENR issued daily fire updates on its website, detailing how many fires were burning in each region of the territory, which ones were a threat and what was being done to contain them.

It was also during the first week of July that Dr. Andre Corriveau, the NWT's chief public health officer, first held a news conference addressing the health problems associated with smoke inhalation.

He said healthy people should not be adversely affected but advised those with breathing problems, the young and the elderly to limit their exposure to the smoke as much as possible.

"For most healthy people it's just an irritant, but for those with chronic heart or lung conditions it can be life threatening," Corriveau said at the time.

July 4:

The first major casualty of the season occurs as fire destroys the Olesen family homestead at the mouth of the Hoarfrost River on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake.

The fire razed through the three-storey log home, a guest cabin and two large sheds full of firewood. The Olesens, who had lived on the property for 27 years, built their home and outbuildings with their own hands.

Kristen Olesen had fled the home earlier in the day as winds changed and the fire moved closer to the family compound.

"By the time crews arrived with a water bomber it was too late," her husband Dave Olesen said. "The smoke was too thick for them to reach the fire."

With the house destroyed, the Olesens moved into their workshop on the property where they intend to stay through the winter.

July 6:

An evacuation order is issued for campers at Reid Lake Territorial Park, about 70 km northeast of Yellowknife on the Ingraham Trail.

The Reid Lake fire was deemed to be too close to the campground for campers to be safe. The park soon became a base for firefighters battling the huge fire.

July 14:

Fire from what was now being called the Birch Lake complex roared across Highway 3 between Behchoko and Fort Providence.

A 10-kilometre-wide wall of fire crossed the highway, melting a patch of chipseal and destroying dozens of road signs.

Candace McQuatt, a columnist with Yellowknifer, drove through the area days later and described it as a "charred, smoldering black landscape."

July 18:

Environment and Natural Resources Minister Michael Miltenberger issues an "all hands on deck" request to GNWT employees.

The department circulated an e-mail to all territorial government employees, asking anyone with previous experience fighting wildfires to leave their regular jobs to help with the ongoing firefighting efforts.

The memo also asked all departments to lend any available heavy equipment, such as bulldozers that weren't in use, to ENR.

Miltenberger told media that it was costing the GNWT "about a million dollars a day" to fight the now hundreds of forest fires burning across the NWT.

July 21:

As residents of the NWT worry about the long-term health effects of breathing in forest fire smoke, the agency that protects them from unsafe workplaces sent its employees home due to smoke.

The Workers Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) closed its downtown Yellowknife office due to smoke inside and told about 100 staff members to vacate the building.

"The employer has a responsibility to ensure the work environment is healthy and safe," said Dave Grundy, WSCC president and CEO.

July 22:

Environment Canada's air quality index in Yellowknife shows levels of air quality exceeding the one-to-10 scale due to forest fire smoke

The weather agency said that means there is a "very high risk" for people to breathe the air, especially people with respiratory problems, children and the elderly.

Judy McLinton, a spokesperson for ENR said there are so may fires burning around Yellowknife that the wind direction doesn't matter. "Smoke is blowing into the city from one fire or another," she said.

July 23:

In what some people called a "minor miracle" a religious shrine along Highway 3 between Behchoko and Fort Providence is undamaged by flames even though fire scorched the area all around it.

The shrine was created by Violet Martin of Ndilo in 2008.

She said when she saw a photo of her statues atop a table untouched by fire with the ground around it nothing but scorched earth and blackened trees, she began to cry.

Judy McLinton, a spokesperson for ENR confirmed that firefighters were not involved in saving the shrine.

July 25:

Whati is blanketed by smoke from a fire about 12 km away from the community.

"We're smoked in" said Lisa Mackenzie Nitsiza, the community's acting senior administrative officer.

Residents had been told to stay indoors, keep their windows closed and drink plenty of fluids to combat the smoke, she said.

Meanwhile, the community of Gameti was taking steps to protect itself from fire.

Judal Dominicata, Gameti's senior administrative officer, said the smoke and flames remain on the other side of the island and Gameti itself is not currently threatened.

"There are no firefighters here right now from outside the community. Our own five local firefighters remain on standby but they're not directly fighting the fire at the moment," he said.

"We have two crews of community members including myself. We're walking around, walking out to the airport, monitoring the fire, making sure it doesn't get too close."

July 28:

The first positive forest fire news is reported as Tim Gauthier, fire information officer with Wood Buffalo National Park, saya the aftermath of the fire means fresh grass for bison to feed.

He also pointed to to whooping cranes saying fires remove trees that could encroach on their wetlands.

According to information on the Canadian Wildlife Federation's website, another species that benefits from wildfires is the black-backed woodpecker, also known as the Arctic three-toed woodpecker because insects such as bark beetles can be easily found feeding on burned wood.

July 30:

The majority of Jean Marie River residents voluntarily left their homes because of a forest fire that was burning on the opposite side of the Mackenzie River.

About 35 people, mainly elders and youth, fled to Fort Simpson.

They returned the following evening after conditions had improved.

Meanwhile, in Yellowknife, this day was one of the most memorable in the entire fire season.

In the middle of the afternoon, the smoke became so thick the sky over the city turned pitch black for the first time in over a month.

The smoke, falling ash and red lightning combined to create an apocalyptic-looking thunderstorm, although very little rain fell.

By 5 p.m., the storm had ended and the sky cleared enough to allow some sunshine through.

The fire which was believed to have played a role in darkening the sky was burning within 30 km of the city.

The fire, named number 85 by ENR, led to the voluntary evacuation of residents living along Hwy 3 from the sandpits to about 35 km west of the city.

Of those who left their homes, only seven registered at a temporary shelter set up at the Fieldhouse.

More than 30 people decided they weren't in jeopardy and chose to stay in their homes despite the voluntary evacuation order.

Aug. 4:

At least two First Air flights were grounded in Yellowknife as fuel trucks were unable to get through the blockades on Highway 3 due to smoke and fire.

Meanwhile, ENR announced crews were unable to work on fire 85 over the weekend due to high winds and heavy smoke.

They returned to the fire early in the week.

Aug 5:

Training begins in Fort Smith and Dettah for dozens of would-be firefighters.

As some firefighters' contracts ended, ENR said it wanted to make sure it still has enough personnel to battle the blazes.

Trainees had to pass a physical and successfully complete nine days of training, the trainees will become type three firefighters, also known as extra firefighters (EFFs).

They were not trained to be on the front lines but, later in the season, were involved in fire mop ups, putting out hot spots and making sure all the firefighting equipment is in good working order.

Meanwhile, the city of Yellowknife ended several weeks of speculation by making its emergency measures plan available to the public.

Yellowknifer newspaper had made requests to see the plan in light of growing concerns over the increasing number of forest fires in the territory, but city officials said they had to redact confidential phone numbers before they could make it available.

The 34-page public version of the plan, which is available on the city's website, establishes the steps required for a local state of emergency to be declared, as well as a chain of command that would come into effect should such a declaration occur.

Aug. 8:

Stanton Territorial Hospital confirms that it had to postpone several elective surgeries the previous week due to the smell of smoke in operating rooms.

David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada said it had been the driest June and July in the NWT in 40 years during a 73-day span following the May long weekend.

Less than 30 millimetres of rain had fallen on the territory. Normally over that time we'd receive more than 100 millimetres, Phillips said.

Aug 11:

Officials announce that Territorial Court won't sit in Behchoko this week because of potentially unsafe travel conditions.

Smoke, fire and highway closures means court sessions are postponed.

Aug. 13:

The Birch Lake fire complex is now being described as one of the largest forest fires in North American history.

The complex that began as three separate fires between Behchoko and Fort Providence had burned some 6,500 square kilometres.

The fire had been started by lightning back on June 17.

Aug 16 to 17:

ENR says these are the likely the dates when a fire from the Birch Lake complex claimed the multi-million dollar Moraine Point Lodge on the western shore of Great Slave Lake.

News/North accompanied the owners, Mary O'Brien and her son Rodney Kenny as they fly in to take their first look at the devastation.

They climbed over burned trees that had fallen on their trails to get to the compound. Virtually nothing was left as the fire destroyed the main lodge, several outbuildings and all the contents.

Rodney Kenny was shocked as he said he'd been in contact with ENR and viewed their fire maps on a daily basis.

He said he had been told by ENR officials just days earlier that the fire was not threatening the property.

"This dream just died," Kenny said as he started to think about what had to be done to clear the site of debris and what would be involved in rebuilding.

Aug 18:

ENR announces that a new record has been set in the territory for the amount of forest lost to fire.

At least 35,000 square kilometres had been burned compared to the previous record of 30,000 set in 1994.

The department had recorded 368 forest fires in the territory as of this date, 302 of which were still active.

Sept 2:

ENR announces that there are no longer any crews actively fighting fires in the NWT.

"All firefighting objectives have now been met and there are no longer any resources being deployed to fight fires," said Judy McLinton, a spokesperson for ENR.

Any remaining firefighters from outside the territory started to return home.

There is now no direct fire threat to communities or values at risk, said McLinton.

Sept 4:

ENR officials say they are uncertain how the Mackenzie bison population weathered the fires.

Terry Armstrong, a biologist with ENR said a few bison may have died as a result of the fires but doubted that number was very high.

Chief Joachim Bonnetrouge of the Deh Gah Got'ie First Nation said areas used by community members for hunting moose and caribou were burned as well as areas where trap lines are laid.

He expected people would have to go further for this year's fall hunt.

Sept 30:

Forest fire season in NWT officially ends.

Oct 10:

ENR reports that there are three active fires still burning in the NWT, all in the Deh Cho region, near Jean Marie River. Ella Stinson, a spokesperson for ENR stated an e-mail that they are giving off some smoke, are being monitored but don't pose any risk to people or property.

- with files from

Roxanna Thompson, Paul Bickford, Cody Punter and Laura Busch

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