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Fort Good Hope, N.W.T., wildfire now headed toward 2017 burn area, away from community

Winds are now pushing the wildfire at the edge of Fort Good Hope, N.W.T., toward an old burn area from 2017 and away from the community, N.W.T. Fire said Wednesday. The community remains under an evacuation order.

Fire still growing as crews work to shore up containment lines

CBC News ·
A line of people listen to another person while standing on gravel.
Leaders from Fort Good Hope and the N.W.T. government get a briefing before a helicopter flight over the nearby wildfire Tuesday. The community remains under an evacuation order. (Submitted by NWT Fire)

Winds are now pushing the wildfire at the edge of Fort Good Hope, N.W.T., toward an old burn area from 2017 and away from the community, N.W.T. Fire said Wednesday.

In a 10 a.m. update on Wednesday, wildfire information officer Frank McKay said crews are focused on putting out hotspots and burning off a 50-foot buffer of fuel so the wildfire has a harder time moving toward the community.

They're also working with aerial support to put out hotspots along Fort Good Hope's airport road.

A map with an area outlined in red.
A map from N.W.T. Fire, last updated at 8 a.m. Wednesday, shows how much land the wildfire at Fort Good Hope has burned. (Submitted by N.W.T. Fire)

The evacuation order for the community, issued last weekend, remains in place. Five fire crews, two fire techs, three helicopters and numerous water tankers are dedicated to this wildfire.

The fire's burn area has grown beyond 4,000 hectares, N.W.T. Fire said. Some rain fell Tuesday, with more expected Wednesday.

Satellite imagery comparison of a wildfire on two different days
Satellite imagery of the wildfire at Fort Good Hope shows the size of the burn area on Sunday on the left, compared to Monday, on the right. Information from N.W.T. Fire indicates the wildfire has grown much larger since Monday. (Sentinel-2/European Space Agency)
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