Wrigley, N.W.T., residents ordered to evacuate due to nearby wildfire
Residents of Wrigley, N.W.T., have been ordered to evacuate over a wildfire burning near the community of about 130 people.
The order, which was issued through the territory's alert system Monday morning, comes less than 24 hours after Fort Simpson residents were ordered to evacuate to Yellowknife over a nearby fire.
Pedzéh Kı̨ First Nation Chief Jamie Moses told CBC News that residents will evacuate Monday afternoon by plane to Fort Smith, a community on the N.W.T. border roughly 700 kilometres, or a 10-hours' drive, away.
The N'Dulee ferry on the Mackenzie River has also reopened, according to an update to the Drive N.W.T. website. The ferry connects Wrigley to the territory's highway system.
"There is some concern about highway conditions," said Jay Boast, an information officer with the territory's emergency management organization. "We are looking to have [evacuation] happen as quickly as possible but also as safely as possible."
Wrigley residents are asked to register at the band office and will get further instructions from there, according to the alert.
The fire designated FS015, burning 12 kilometres to the north of Wrigley, prompted a special notice from wildfire officials Sunday night, having grown “significantly” to over 4,000 hectares in size.
Thomas Bentham, an official with N.W.T. Fire said earlier on Monday that residents should brace themselves for "significant fire activity" as changing winds and hot, dry conditions continue to encourage the spread of fires.
A new fire, FS018, was discovered near Wrigley over the weekend, estimated at over 100 hectares in size.
An incident management team is being deployed from Alberta, and two helicopters and six tankers are currently managing the fire.
"We have plenty of resources on top of this fire," Bentham said.
18 new fires
Officials reported 18 new fires identified overnight, in regions across the territory.
Smoke seen in Wrigley, N.W.T., on Monday. The community of about 130 people has been ordered to evacuate to Fort Smith due to a nearby wildfire. (Submitted by Sylvester Boadi)
Several new fires have been identified around Fort Good Hope, though they currently pose no risk to structures.
New fires have also been identified in the area near Hay River that burned in the historic 2023 wildfire season. Officials say smoke from those fires may be visible in Hay River and Enterprise.
Another fire, SS009, is burning near Highway 1 at the N.W.T./Alberta border, a key evacuation route from the territory.
"Travellers along the road could see, and likely will see smoke and possibly flames," Bentham said. "We’re working with [the Department of] Infrastructure to make sure that the highway there is accessible … That’s one to keep an eye on."
There are currently more than 80 fires burning across the territory. Hot, dry conditions and persistent droughts have made wildfires larger and less predictable in recent years.
Thumbnail courtesy of Sylvester Boadi via CBC.
The article was originally written by John Last and published for CBC News. It contains files from Jessica Davey-Quantick and Shannon Scott.