Alberta investigators to look into how N.W.T. gov't handled Reid Lake fire
Report won't be made public
The N.W.T. government has hired fire investigators from Alberta to look into what caused — and how they subsequently handled — a wildfire that closed a highway, forced evacuations and destroyed a fishing lodge.
Officials say the Reid Lake fire, which started near a cabin on Pickerel Lake, is suspected to have been person-caused.
It has since grown to more than 6,400 hectares, and fire crews are still battling it.
The fire forced evacuations of the Reid Lake campground, which remains closed, and Camp Connections, a camp for foster children, which has been turned into a base for fire crews.
The fire also led to closures of the Ingraham Trail east of Yellowknife, and forced people to leave several private cabins on Reid Lake.
- PHOTOS | Namushka Lodge consumed by Reid Lake forest fire Friday night
- 'Within about 10 minutes we were into the fire,' says camper evacuated from Reid Lake
- No gear, no problem: Camp Connections regroups at Yellowknife site
On July 15, the fire swept into Namushka Lodge on Harding Lake and destroyed it. Investigators will look into how fire officials handled communication with the lodge before the fire struck.
The owners of the lodge have said they had no warning from the department about the fire and were lucky to get out alive.
The investigators' report is expected to be completed in a few weeks but will not be made public.