N.W.T. highways to Hay River, Fort Smith and Fort Resolution closed to all but essential workers
Roads closed Wednesday afternoon as some communities mull public re-entry
As essential workers continue to return Thursday to Kátł'odeeche First Nation, the highways leading to Hay River, Fort Smith and Fort Resolution remained closed to everyone else.
Highways 2, 5 and 6 are all closed to general traffic, though Hay River and Kátł'odeeche First Nation are in the midst of planning for residents to return possibly as soon as Sunday, according to Kátł'odeeche First Nation Chief April Martel.
Residents there have been displaced from their homes since Aug. 13 and the large wildfire burning nearby remains out of control.
Essential workers have been returning to Hay River, Kátł'odeeche and Fort Smith (which has been evacuated since Aug. 12). The Town of Hay River has said a general return could happen as early as Sunday, while Fort Smith has been eyeing a possible Monday return.
Speaking to CBC News from Grande Prairie, Alta., Thursday morning, Martel said she drove some evacuee firefighters back to the reserve this week. Conditions on the reserve are still very smoky, she noted, with some wildfire hotspots around the community.
"There's still a fire burning back there," she said. "I just warned [my people], when you go home, just make sure, you know, use a mask or try to stay inside as much as you could."
Defences holding, smoke clearing
Some of that smoke was due to a successful ignition operation near Sandy Creek aimed at protecting the reserve and the broader Hay River area.
Mike Westwick, a fire information officer with N.W.T. Fire, said Thursday morning that all that heavy smoke helped keep temperatures lower Wednesday and kept more moisture in the area.
"We did still see some fire activity but we didn't see significant growth on the fire," he said.
Some of that smoke is expected to clear Thursday, with fire crews anticipating warmer temperatures and some winds that could push the fire north a bit.
As for the part of that fire that's close to Kátł'odeeche, Westwick said crews are digging away and extinguishing any fuel along the edge where they did the ignition operation.
"They made really good progress yesterday," he said.
"With folks coming back, we're just really making sure that all these areas are secure — and I just would note that all the defences are holding very well in the town of Hay River and the corridor there."
Essential workers should expect clearer visibility on the road, but should still be prepared for smoke on Highway 1, he said.
Those who are returning are being cautioned by the N.W.T.'s chief environmental health officer that, if they have water tanks, they shouldn't drink water that's been standing for mover a month. Instead, they should drain any water in their holding tanks and flush all their water lines with fresh water for 15 minutes
Martel said the First Nation is arranging transportation to get non-essential residents home when the time comes — possibly Sunday and Monday, if Hay River returns as hoped.
"Right now, we're just waiting," she said — and nailing down the details.
"We've got buses here, we've got vans, we've got cars, and we'll just load up everybody. We're just doing those logistics now to get everyone home safely."
Residents who need to fly back still have a few hours to registers for a flight, with registration closing at 8 p.m. Thursday.