Forest fire in southwest N.W.T. prompts warning for travellers on Highway 7
Territory says wildfire is being monitored, could create travel restrictions on highway
People travelling between Fort Liard, N.W.T. and northern British Columbia could see their way blocked by a forest fire that's burning just five kilometres off Highway 7 and heading southwest.
The fire is about 120 hectares and about 19 kilometres southwest of Fort Liard, explained Jay Boast, the communications director for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.
NWT Fire / Feux TNO<br>4 mins · <br>This picture shows the line of fire retardant dropped on the north edge of fire FS-006 near Fort Liard.<br><br>Cette photo montre la ligne de retardateur de feu tombée sur le bord nord de l'incendie FS-006 près de Fort Liard. <a href="https://t.co/ujwg3rqyQ7">pic.twitter.com/ujwg3rqyQ7</a>
—@NWTFireA lightning strike set the fire, the 11th in the territory this year, Boast said. Despite some rainfall last week, the area is still extremely dry, and the territory reports the fire risk as "Extreme" for Fort Liard.
Fire crews are fighting the wildfire with a fleet of four air tankers and two helicopters. They've already dropped a line of fire retardant along the north edge of the fire in an effort to contain it from spreading further.
We are monitoring a wildfire southwest of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FortLiard?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FortLiard</a> along <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NWThwy7?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NWThwy7</a> that could cause travel restrictions in the coming hours and or days. We will tweet any updates. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NWTfire?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NWTfire</a>
—@GNWT_INFTwo more helicopters are expected to be sent out Thursday to help.
Fire officials say the fire is too hot for fire crews to be on the ground, so right now they can only work from the air.
Temperatures in the region are expected to top 29 C all week and Environment Canada issued a heat warning for Fort Liard and Nahanni Butte, the two nearest communities.