The government is actively combatting three wildfires in the Northwest Territories, with two of them attributed to human causes. One of the fires, sparked by human activity in the South Slave region, has been brought under control. This wildfire, covering an area of approximately 0.0001 square kilometers, began on Monday and has been described as an “escaped campfire” by the Environment and Climate Change website.
Additionally, authorities are tackling an out-of-control overwintering fire in the South Slave region, scorching around 0.05 square kilometers since its ignition on May 9. An overwinter fire is one that remains dormant or undetected for an extended period after its initial start. This specific overwinter fire was detected through infrared scanning conducted along the perimeter of the Fort Providence wildfire last year. Firefighters are working on extinguishing hotspots identified through scanning and eliminating any remaining heat using heavy equipment, with no imminent threats to Fort Providence, cabins, or infrastructure.
In the North Slave region, the government is combatting another “out-of-control” wildfire spanning 0.001 square kilometers, akin to the size of a Canadian Football League end zone. This fire, which started on Saturday, is also attributed to human activity. Fire officials had previously cautioned that the current year might pose challenges for the wildfire season due to persistent drought conditions in certain parts of the territory.