N.W.T. requests help from elsewhere to battle wildfires
Whatì, Fort Providence under evacuation orders; Jean Marie River under evacuation alert
The N.W.T. government has asked for help and resources from elsewhere to deal with a number of wildfires still burning in the territory and threatening several communities.
Premier R.J. Simpson said on Monday that the territory had contacted the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) to request additional resources.
As of Tuesday, the territory had 105 active wildfires burning and the communities of Whatì and Fort Providence were under evacuation orders. Jean Marie River was under an evacuation alert, meaning residents were being advised to be ready to leave on short notice.
Awa Cissé, a spokesperson for the CIFFC, said on Tuesday that the N.W.T. had already received some trailers from Alberta to help with firefighting efforts, along with seven firefighters and one other personnel position. The territory has also requested some specialists, including a sprinkler unit protection specialist and an ignition specialist.
“We can’t really fill out … every ask, every request that we have. We try and do our best and but we’re kind of stretched right now,” Cissé said.
Meantime, according to CIFFC, four air tankers from the N.W.T. along with a smaller aircraft were being deployed elsewhere in the country as of Tuesday.
In a statement to CBC News, N.W.T fire information officer Mike Westwick said one aircraft group from the territory had been sent to Nova Scotia. That province currently has the CIFFC’s highest fire danger rating.
Westwick also said that it has “largely been impossible” over most of the last week to use air tankers on the priority fires in the N.W.T. because of smoke conditions and poor visibility. Crews have been relying more on helicopters, he said.
“[Air tankers] require more visibility than helicopters for obvious reasons given their size and the fact they are flying extremely low to the ground to drop water or fire retardant,” Westwick wrote.
“We understand that people want to see the big machines out there. But we have a duty to ensure people come home safe at the end of the day. We will not put pilots or ground crews at risk by having them fly unsafe missions,” he wrote.
Each fire in the N.W.T., he wrote, “has been able to get the air tankers they request,” and there were air tankers groups standing by in Yellowknife and Hay River for wherever they’re needed.
Westwick also confirmed that there were no N.W.T. firefighters dispatched outside of the territory.
With files from Sarah St-Pierre and Kate Kyle
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Why are so few people charged for causing wildfires in the N.W.T.?, CBC News
Finland: Wildfires continue to burn across Lapland, Yle 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
