Fort Smith, N.W.T., ordered to evacuate as wildfire threatens Highway 5

An evacuation order was issued for Fort Smith, N.W.T., as a wildfire near the community threatens the only route out of town. 

The town has been on an evacuation alert since Friday, as winds were expected to blow smoke and fire activity towards the community through the weekend.

"Following a recommendation by Parks Canada due to forecasted fire behavior, the town of Fort Smith has issued an evacuation ORDER. This ORDER has been issued for the safety of the public. Citizens are directed to remain calm and leave the area within the next 8 hours," N.W.T. Fire posted on Facebook. 

Cathy Lepine, an elder in Fort Smith, says she's had an evacuation kit ready to go since the alert was sent out. 

She plans to head to High Level, Alta. and then Edmonton. 

"Nothing has happened like this in 57 years I've been here, then all of a sudden, this. It is emotional to leave," Lepine said. 

Aureole Grimard is another evacuee who rode her bike over the recreation centre on Saturday. 

"I just brought one little suitcase, backpack, sleeping bag and a pillow and inside my suitcase, I got my coffee maker and my coffee because I don't know [what] the situation's going to be, where I'm going, but I got to have that," she said with a laugh. 

Grimard said she's packed for four days and believes she will be heading to Hay River on the bus from the recreation centre. She said she doesn't know how long she will be there for, but is not panicking about the situation. 

Adam McNab, director of Protective Services for the town of Fort Smith, said crews would be going door-to-door to inform people of the evacuation order. Residents are being told to be out of the town by 9 p.m. at the latest.

The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority said the Fort Smith Health Centre will be closing on Sunday at 3 p.m. due to the evacuation order. This was announced in a news release issued on Saturday evening.

Jessica Davey-Quantick, a fire information officer with the territory, said on Saturday afternoon that the most pressing fire burning in Wood Buffalo National Park was at one time multiple fires merged into one. But she said several crews from various jurisdictions are fighting different sections of it.

The fire crews include the N.W.T., Alberta and even a team from South Africa. 

She said the fire wasn't threatening the town itself, but instead is threatening the highway, the community's evacuation route. 

The post on N.W.T. Fire says the territorial government will try and maintain Highway 5 access for as long as possible throughout the night. Anyone without a vehicle can go to the Fort Smith Recreation Centre and those with no accommodations can go to the Hay River Community Recreation Centre.

Inuvik sees some relief

Inuvik, which is also on evacuation alert, had a bit of relief overnight with cool weather and rain, according to Davey-Quantick. 

"It's getting cooler, they have precipitation. That's all very helpful. It's really improving visibility and that's helping immensely," she said. 

In Kakisa, the situation remains the same, but Davey-Quantick said protective measures are being put in place, including sprinklers. 

Avoid non-essential travel, N.W.T. Fire advises

For homes along Highway 3 between kilometres 284 and 306 at Boundary Creek, an evacuation alert remains.

Yellowknife, Dettah, Ndilǫ are not currently at risk, according to a Facebook post by N.W.T. Fire. 

One fire is 29 kilometres southeast of Dettah, about seven kilometres south of Jennejohn Lake.

An information session involving the territorial government on the wildfire response is scheduled for Sunday at the Chief Drygeese Conference Centre in Dettah. 

The out-of-control wildfires on the Ingraham trail are threatening cabins on Duncan Lake, Neck Lake, and Island Lake. 

Davey-Quantick said due to higher activity on highways, non-essential travel should be reconsidered. 

"We're going to have lots of evacuees as well and crews moving around the territory. So if you don't need to be on that road, stay off of it. Make some space for people that do," she said. 

Davey-Quantick said this extends to everywhere that there's fire activity, including the Ingraham Trail. 

"We don't want to tell people you can't go and use our beautiful campsites and get out in the land and enjoy your summer," she said. 

"But it does make it more complicated. If you're going out in the land and something should change if there's fire danger in the area and we don't know you're there, that's the big danger that if you're either getting in the way of crews or that you unexpectedly will end up in situation where you are in danger and we don't know you're there."