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Fire season set to go out with a sizzle
Only one-fifth as much land burned this season compared to 2014, say officials

John McFadden
Northern News Services
Monday, September 7, 2015

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
With just a few weeks left in the official wildfire season in the NWT, early predictions of a worse year than last have not come true.

The amount of land burned this year in the territory is only about one-fifth of what burned in 2014, according to Richard Olsen, manager of fire operations with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR).

About 6,220 square kilometres have burned this year compared to roughly 34,150 square kilometres last year, Olsen said.

"To date in the NWT there has been 241 fires, 61 of which are still burning. In comparison to 2014 we ended up with 385 fires ... so we're well below the number from last year and very well below the total area that was burned," Olsen said. "In respect to our 20-year average though, we're over by about 50 fires. Our 20-year average is 196 fires (per season). We're about 200,000 hectares (20,000 square kilometres) burned more than we would in an average year."

There were 655 fires in 1994, arguably the worst forest fire season ever in the NWT, according to Olsen, who is quick to point out the wildfire season is not over just yet.

"We can probably expect, based on historical numbers, anywhere from 21 to 50 more fires, so we're averaging that to about 30 more fires until the season is officially over," Olsen said. "With the existing fires that are burning, we still expect that anywhere from 40,000 to 100,000 (4,000 to 10,000 square kilometres) of area could burn up until snowfall."

There are currently no personnel or crews directly battling fires in the NWT, Olsen said.

"We do have a little bit of cleanup on some fires, taking down sprinkler systems and work back at the bases, cleaning up equipment, hoses and other fire materials, getting ready for future use," Olsen said. "Of the 28 fire crews we normally have on strength, eight still remain. They are in the Deh Cho, South Slave and North Slave regions,."

There are usually about five firefighters to a crew.

"As of Aug. 5 we had hired 380 emergency firefighters (EFFs) for help in various aspects including training to working on the fire lines to logistics," he said. "The weather really co-operated and we have had a significant amount of rain in several areas that have brought out overall fuel moisture conditions right down," Olsen said. "In some areas the drought code had reduced itself to what we would normally expect it to be at this time of year specifically in areas around Fort Smith and the Deh Cho. That being said, there still remains some dry areas around Great Slave Lake, especially in the Yellowknife area. We're still looking at drought conditions well in excess of what we would normally see in that area at this time of year."

Reasons for fewer fires

Olsen said that there are at least a couple of reasons other than the weather that the fire season hasn't been as bad as last year. Early in the season, fire crews took a more aggressive position on fires that showed long-term potential. Also, because so much land burned last summer, there was less fuel to burn for fires this year.

There two major losses due to wildfires in the NWT last year – the Hoarfrost River homestead on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake and the Moraine Point Lodge south of Yellowknife.

"It was comforting (this year) to know that our people were doing well and helping to protect people's values and were doing so safely," he said.

He said he will be looking into a report that between 200 and 250 cords of wood, valued in the tens of thousands of dollars, were lost during a controlled back burn along Highway 3 in August.

Firefighters head to Oregon

The fire situation in the NWT was so moderate this month that ENR was able to free up 10 people, including Olsen, to go to Oregon and help with one of the worst fire seasons in that state's history.

Environment and Natural Resources Minister Michael Miltenberger said that despite the season not being anywhere near as bad as was predicted in the spring, it was still the second worst fire season on record in terms of the cost to the taxpayer.

"We have spent almost $33 million or just a shade over half what we spent last year," Miltenberger said.

He added that the government budgeted $10 million to fight wildfires this year. Miltenberger also confirmed that ENR officials are looking into a report that a man lost tens of thousands of dollars worth of firewood after a controlled back burn off Highway. 3 between Behchoko and Fort Providence last month, burned out of control, jumped the highway, and reached the woodcutter's property.

The forest fire season in the NWT officially ends Sept. 30.

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