7 cabins burned by wildfire near N.W.T. and Alberta border
‘Now I have to start all over again,’ one cabin owner says
A fire burning close to the N.W.T.-Alberta border has burned seven cabins, according to N.W.T. Fire.
Dana Bowen, a communications planning specialist with N.W.T. Fire, told CBC the cabins’ owners have been notified.
Sections of the fire, which has been burning since May, reignited overnight on Aug. 12 and created heavy smoke along the highway.
Robert Lamalice, one of the cabin owners, said he thinks the cabins burned Saturday
Lamalice said his family used their cabin for hunting and trapping, and they had just renovated it.
“The wind shifted … blew east and the fire went toward the highway,” he said. “That’s when most of our cabins burned.
“I lost everything that was there.”
A place of family memories
Lamalice said his late uncle’s cabin also burned — a place he has been visiting since he was young.
“I used to go [there] since I was just a little guy,” he said. “It’s just such a beautiful place.”
He also said his grandson would go to the cabin with him to set traps.
“Now I have to start all over again,” he said.
Bowen said there haven’t been any new fires over the weekend.
But she said it was a hot and dry weekend for most of the territory, and “challenging fire weather” is expected over the next 48 hours.
“We are still in a severe drought,” Bowen said. “There has been some rain, which has been helpful. But not really enough to make a big dent.”
Fires burn near communities
Bowen said there are 30 to 40 crews working on the fires throughout the territory.
She also said there’s a fire burning 35 kilometres from Délı̨nę, but it isn’t considered a danger to the community.
“We are expecting to see gusty winds from the south which could increase growth of the fire to the north,” she said.
Fire protection is also being set up in and around the community.
Another fire is burning about 34 kilometres west of Kakisa and another one 23 kilometres west of Wekweètì. There’s also a fire 20 kilometres south of Wrigley on the west side of the Mackenzie River.
As of Monday morning, there are no wildfire threats to any communities, Bowen said.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: N.W.T. Indigenous governments get $15M to deal with 2023 wildfires’ impact, CBC News
Norway: Smoke from Canadian wildfires forecast to reach Norway, The Associated Press
Russia: New NOAA report finds vast Siberian wildfires linked to Arctic warming, The Associated Press
Sweden: High risk of wildfires in many parts of Sweden, including North, Radio Sweden
United States: Wildfires in Anchorage? Climate change sparks disaster fears, The Associated Press